JoyFeel Pretty Cure
by Kaji Motomiya
Summary: Desire is a strong feeling of want. To accomplish, to have, to love. There are those wishing to exploit those with strong desires to harvest what are called "Desire Factors". To protect the people's desires, five girls transform into the Legendary Heroes, the Pretty Cure! Using the strength of their own desire, they combat against the Yokubuzoku to protect the world's desire!
1. The Joyful Azalea

**Episode 1 – The Joyful Azalea**

Three years ago.

Etsukyou was in peril. Attacked by a mysterious and malevolent group known as the Yokubuzoku, the city and her citizens were hunted down for one thing: their desires. Using the nature of their desires, they were transformed into monsters known as the Akumajin, which attacked many people and destroyed many things. It was pure chaos, chaos born from their desire.

But one day, two heroes arrived. No one knows where they came from, but their powers had saved them all. The heroes known as Pretty Cure.

The warrior who burned brightly like the sun, Cure Dawn.

The warrior hidden in the night, Cure Eve.

They protected them and made them safe. The citizens could go out without fear, knowing someone would be there for them. But all of a sudden, the Pretty Cure disappeared. Along with the Yokubuzoku, the Pretty Cure were gone from this city, or maybe this world. No one has heard of them since.

* * *

A red-haired girl launched her fist at a jackal-masked man. The man skillfully dodged it and grabbed her wrist, throwing her behind him. The girl had quickly gotten back up and launched another attack. Her battle cry was more like a roar filled with rage and anguish. The man toyed with her, blocking and parrying against her attacks like child play.

"I will make you pay!" she roared as she launched herself into the air. Her fist burned a fiery red glow until it formed what looked like the sun.

"Oh? You intend to end this here?"

"Dawn!" cried a voice from behind, her voice filled with sadness. "Don't do this! Dawn!"

"Pretty Cure!" Joining her two fists together, she dropped down towards the masked man, the sun getting bigger and hotter. "Dawn BREAKER!"

The man pulled back his hand and launched it out the moment the red orb was close, making contact with his palm. Light broke through the orb as Dawn's screams filled the grayed skies. There was an explosion.

And a bright light.

* * *

The girl's eyes widened, looking up at the darkened ceiling of her room. Light was shining through her blinds as she sat up from her bed, her magenta hair a mess. It was as if it had taken the form of a bushel. She rubbed her eyes and looked at her clock. It was only 7 AM. "That dream again…" she mumbled to herself. "I keep seeing that dream. But I can't hear anything…it's so strange…"

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. "Iroha," called a woman's voice from the other side. "Breakfast is almost ready. Go get dressed, and wake up your sister, too!"

"Yes, mom…" Iroha mumbled once more and turned to the side of her bed, sliding her feet into her pink slippers and shuffling to her blinds. When she spread them apart, the morning sun shined onto her face, and a refreshed and energetic smile formed onto her lips. "What a beautiful happy day this is!" she said to herself as she looked towards the blue, cloudless sky.

* * *

Iroha now wore a school uniform, complete with a goldenrod blazer and vest, tied with a blue ribbon around her collar, and a black pleated skirt. Her hair, now neat and tidy, was tied into twintails, but retained its fluffiness. She stood in front of the door across from hers, with the sign saying "SEIKA" on it in Roman letters. "Hey, onee-chan," Iroha called out, knocking on Seika's door. "Wake up. Mom made breakfast for us." There was no response, but Iroha could make a faint noise from across the door. "No, it's already half past 7. We'll be late if we don't eat." Again, there seemed to be no response, but Iroha made that same faint noise. "…She made your favorite omurice."

There was silence. Then a thumping. All of a sudden, the door slammed open, and Iroha was looking at her older sister, slumped over with her messy purple hair over her eyes. "Okay…" Seika mumbled. "Let's go eat now…"

"Good morning, onee-chan."

The two headed downstairs into the dining room, where the table had already been set. As Seika took her seat, she let out a slight yawn. "Did you stay up again last night?" Iroha asked.

"Yeah…new book. Couldn't put it down." Seika lazily replied as she sat back on her chair while fixing her round glasses. "Dad found me in the observatory knocked out and sent me to my room."

Iroha giggled a bit. "You always love reading in the observatory. So much that you lose track of time."

"Well, it's easy to get lost in a book," Seika retorted with a smile. "It's more exciting than any movie, manga, or anime can offer."

"Now now, settle down," called a woman in the kitchen. She had come out with two steaming plates of omurice. Both of them had ketchup scribbles over them. The one she placed in front of Seika's had her name in Kanji (星佳). In front of Iroha's was also her name, but in Hiragana (いろは). "You both need your energy before going to school, so eat up. Your father has already left for work, and I still need to get ready. You as well, Seika."

"Yes, mother."

Iroha looked down at her omurice with a sort of disappointed look. She was bothered by her name, as usual. "Are you sure I don't have kanji for my name?"

"Your sister picked out your name herself when you were a baby," their mother replied. "She was fond of your name being completely simplified like that."

"But what if everyone at my new school makes fun of my name like my old one did?"

Seika looked at Iroha and leaned towards her, ruffling her bangs. "A name is a name," she said. "And yours is a rather unique one. You should take pride in your identity, because no one else can be you except yourself."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Iroha laughed as the two began to eat.

* * *

"I'm off!" Iroha called out from the front door. "Seika, you better hurry up, or you'll be late!"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Seika called back as she ran down the stairs in a similar uniform to Iroha's, but darker. After putting on her shoes, the two of them left.

They walked down the street from their house until they saw a crowd of other students, from elementary to high school, in different school uniforms. Some of them had uniforms from their respective schools as well. Seika looked down at Iroha, who was gripping the strap of her bag tightly. "Nervous?"

"Kind of. Tokugawa Academy is one of Etsukyou's elite schools…it's amazing that I even got in."

"Don't be. Once you get to your class, you'll realize that everyone is the same as you. Whether they are smart or not, they all feel that nervousness like you do. They ask themselves questions such as, 'Will I be in the same homeroom class as my friends?' or 'How will I do this year?'" Seika looked at the other students, some of whom were nervous and some having a fun time talking to their friends. "You'll be fine. You're not alone. You won't be."

As they headed towards an intersection at the light, Seika began to turn. "This is my stop. So I'll see you at home later?"

"Yeah. See you later, onee-chan!" Iroha's light turned green, and she waved good-bye to her sister as she crossed the street.

She passed more houses and came to one with a beautiful front garden. There were less students now, but more of those with her uniform. "Good morning!" she called out from the front gate.

An elderly woman poked her head over the bushels of flowers. "Oh, Iroha-chan! So good to see you well! Are you going to school now?"

"Yes! This is my first day at Tokugawa Academy," Iroha replied, nodding politely.

"I see. You must be nervous." The old woman went to her bushel of azalea flowers and plucked one out. "But nervousness is just a passing feeling." She placed the flower into one of Iroha's twintails. It was a brighter pink than her hair. "And what replaces it is much more fulfilling at the end of the day."

"I see…thank you, obaa-san!"

"Have a safe trip, Iroha-chan. Remember to stay happy."

Iroha bowed politely and waved, now joining the students heading down the same path. She hummed and giggled to herself as she bounced her twintail with the flower on her palm.

* * *

Tokugawa Academy is one of Etsukyo's elite schools. It is one of the few that has a gender system, splitting between boys and girls into different buildings in different locations. Like its sister school in Hikari-cho, Tokugawa Academy is considered a preparatory school for both middle school and high school students. However, while its facilities are not as equipped as its sister school, it certainly isn't lacking in its extracurriculars, most notably its kendo and martial arts classes.

Iroha navigated her way through the main building of the girls' middle school division. Using various maps posted in the main and sub halls, she found her way towards the faculty hall. Her hands were shaking as she gripped the handle of her book bag tightly. Tokugawa Academy is indeed an elite school, and she worried whether she was well-prepared for it. As she headed towards the door to the faculty room, it suddenly slid open.

Before her was a woman with long platinum blonde hair. She wore a white dress shirt, buttoned up to the collar and completed with a pink ribbon, that accented her breasts and was tucked into a navy office-style miniskirt. Iroha's face bumped into the woman's pronounced chest, causing the two of them to stumble backwards. In the process, the woman had dropped her unusual-looking handbag, and four identical white flip phones scattered on the ground. On them was a strange symbol: a star on top of a large heart with an even smaller heart in its center.

"Ow…" Iroha groaned as she rubbed hew bottom. "I-I'm sorry! Are you okay?! I'll help you right away!" Worried about the woman's scattered possessions, she quickly grabbed the phone closest to her.

Upon contact, she felt her heart beat. As if separated from her world, she looked down at her hand over the phone, which now seemed to be rippling the transparent ground beneath it, like standing on water.

"What is it you truly desire?" asked a disembodied yet familiar voice.

Iroha felt she could recognize the voice, but for some reason could not put a name or a person to it. She saw a pair of pink shoes stand in front of her, and as she looked up, a girl her age looked down at her. However, she couldn't see the girl's face. She wore long knee-high black socks just resting under her pink flowery skirt with white frills under. Her white gloves were fastened with black cufflinks, and she wore a laced black vest over a white dress shirt with puffy sleeves and completed with a pink bow. A broach with the same symbol from the phone rested on the bow. Her pink hair was styled with twintails that was spread like blooming flowers, and crown of azalea flowers rested over her hairline. This girl, like the voice, seemed familiar, but for some reason, Iroha could not match it with anyone she knew.

"Who…are you?" she asked.

"Your desire…what do you desire?"

Again, the girl had asked, but Iroha could not answer. Before she could try to say anything, she was interrupted by an, "Um…excuse me?"

Immediately, she snapped back into reality and found herself crawling on the school hall's floor, holding onto the phone tightly. She looked to the woman who she had bumped into, the three other phones strapped to her bag. She seemed rather unamused at the moment. "May I…have that back?"

"Oh…Oh!" Embarrassed, Iroha quickly handed the phone back to her. "I'm…I'm sorry. I just…spaced out a bit."

The woman gazed at her as she stood up. "Are you nervous?" she asked. "You seem to be a transfer student."

"Y-Yes…"

The woman looked back into the faculty office. "Go inside. I believe a teacher over there will help you." Without saying anything else, she left. Iroha watched her from behind and the phone she had handed back to her held tightly in her palm. As the girl recomposed herself and headed inside the faculty room, the woman looked down at the phone, glimpsing at the symbol in the center. In the top center point of the star, a small pink gem was now faintly glowing.

* * *

"Hm…" a teacher with dark hair tied into a ponytail looked at a clip board titled "Class Roster". She wore round glasses that often made people look unpleasant, but despite their shape, they brought out the sparkle in her eyes. "Ah, here you are! Sakuya Iroha of Class 2-E!" She looked up at Iroha with excitement. "Class 2-E, Iroha-chan! You know what that means, right?!"

Iroha stepped back by the teacher's sudden burst of energy. "Umm…no?"

"You get to be in my class! Oh and look how adorable you are!" The teacher stood up and played with Iroha's twintails, causing her to blush profusely. "And this little flower, whether by accident or on purpose, it brings out your cuteness ten-fold! No, one hundred-fold! No, ONE THOUSAND-FOLD!"

"Wh-what?"

The other faculty members in the office laughed. "There she goes again," said one of them.

"Don't let her scare you," added another. "Aragi-sensei loves cute things and cute people. If you're in her class, you'll get used to her."

"Sh-shut up!" Aragi stammered as she sat back in her seat. She collected some of the papers on her desk, along with her clipboard. "Well then, Iroha-chan, shall we go?"

"Ah…yes." Iroha nodded and followed Aragi as she left the faculty room.

As the two headed down the hall towards the stairs, Aragi looked back at Iroha. "Are you nervous?" she asked.

"Everyone keeps asking me that today…" Iroha mumbled. "Is it wrong to feel nervous?"

Aragi smiled at her response. As they reached the midflight turn of the stairs, Aragi turned to Iroha and placed her hands on the girl's tiny shoulders. "Listen to me, Iroha-chan. Everyone is different. But it doesn't mean that we all do not have the same emotions. When people generally start something new, they are scared and uneasy. That is always the fact. There is no shame in being scared to try something new. All that matters is that from start to finish, you put your all into it."

"My all?"

"What is it that you want to achieve in your future? What is it that you want to accomplish in your life? These are the big goals that define our existences, but first you have to take the small steps." Iroha looked down to the floor, thinking of an answer. "Ha ha, you don't have to answer that right away. But it is a question you should think about. Many people do not have the same views or feelings as you do, but we'll learn to adapt and grow with you. No matter where you came from, you're one of us now." This brought a big smile onto Iroha's face, and she nodded.

The two finally reached the classroom on the second floor, 2-E. "Wait here." Iroha stood by the wall next to the door as Aragi walked into the classroom.

"Rise!" called out a green-haired girl, beautiful and refined. At her voice, all the students rose from their seats as Aragi entered the classroom. "Bow!" And at her command, they all bowed. "Good morning, Aragi-sensei!"

"Good morning, everyone," Aragi greeted as she took to the podium, placing her papers and clipboard. "I'd like to take attendance before we begin, so please have a seat. Hm…Aoba Tomoyo!"

Outside, Iroha heard the teacher calling out the students. It seemed to go on for a bit, and she fidgeted with her fingers. 'What if they don't like me?' she thought to herself. 'What if I'm just not right for this school?' As negative thoughts raced in her mind, she thought about the things people had said to her today.

" _But nervousness is just a passing feeling. And what replaces it is much more fulfilling at the end of the day."_

" _Many people do not have the same views or feelings as you do, but we'll learn to adapt and grow with you. No matter where you came from, you're one of us now."_

Thinking about those words, Iroha shook her head wildly, her twintails slapping her cheeks, as she psyched herself up and dispelled any negativity from her mind. "They're right," she said to herself aloud. "I can do this…I can do this!"

"Iroha-chan!" called a voice from the classroom. This snapped Iroha back to reality. "Can you please come in?"

Her body stiff, Iroha looked to the door handle and placed her fingers into it. She swallowed and gripped it tightly. "I can do this…I can do this!" The door slid open, and she walked right in. The class, all girls, as this was the female division, of different faces, shapes, and sizes, watched this pink-haired transfer student walk in. They heard the tapping of the chalk as it slowly formed the name, "咲夜 いろは". But they noticed she held her chalk at the last stroke. She was hesitating. When she finally let go and put down the chalk, she made a quick turn-around.

A blue-haired girl in the back of the classroom watched her, noticing how graceful she moved, as if she was a dancing flower in the breeze. She noticed the singular azalea flower nestled in one of her twin tails. But most of all, she was fixated on that big bright smile on her face.

"Hello, all! How do you do?" she greeted excitedly. "My name is Sakuya Iroha! It is nice to meet you!"

A lot of the girls were mumbling amongst themselves after she introduced herself. They were saying things like, "Isn't Iroha such an unusual name?", "Her first name is written in Hiragana…" and "What's with that flower in her hair?" They also said things like, "She's so adorable!" as well as "Aragi-sensei's got a new pet!"

"I heard that!" Aragi growled from her podium. "A-hem…Iroha-chan-"

"Ah! She calls her Iroha-chan already!"

"Stop it! As I was saying, Iroha-chan transferred here from the Hikaro-cho school district. So please make her feel welcome. Now, do you have any questions for her?"

As the girls looked at Iroha curiously, the green-haired girl from earlier stood up. "It's nice to meet you, Sakuya-san," she started politely. Her mannerism was very stiff. "I am the class representative of 2-E, Shoukusari Ran. Let me start the class off by asking, what is it you want to accomplish in your life?"

Iroha immediately recollected the moment Aragi asked her that same question. At the time, she couldn't answer immediately. But for some reason, another question rang in her head.

"What is it you desire?"

She placed her hands to her chest and breathed slightly. She then looked Ran straight in the eyes with a confident smiled and answered, "I…want to fill this city with as many flowers as I can!" This silenced the entire classroom. Some of them were dumbfounded. Some with skeptical looks.

Ran, however, remained poised. "That's such a vague answer. If you don't mind, would you elaborate?"

Iroha nodded in compliance. "I want to become a florist when I grow up. Because I LOVE flowers! Every kind, from every part of the world! Even the dangerous and poisonous ones. Because no matter what kind of flower they are, they will always bring happiness to people's hearts!"

"Happiness to people's hearts?"

Iroha reached for the azalea flower in her hair and held it in her palms. "When you see a flower, you never say things like, 'It's so ugly!' You always think of how beautiful they look, regardless of what kind of flowers they area. Cherry blossoms, carnations, lilies, even this azalea flower here. When you pass by someone's garden decorated with so many flowers, doesn't your heart usually feel lighter? You immediately think, 'What a beautiful garden,' and you appreciate the hard work that person put into it. I want to spread that happiness all across Etsukyo. I want to fill this town with much happiness and joy that alleviates the negativities and stresses of life. So that no one will spend a single day sad and depressed, and without a smile on their face.

Because if I can make them happy, then that is my pride and joy."

The class was silent. Even Aragi was speechless by Iroha's passionate words. Ran looked at Iroha and saw the glitter in her eyes, and it made her heart feel lighter.

What the broke the silence was a snicker. It then escalated into laughter, except for a few other students. Iroha immediately blushed in embarrassment and stepped back into the chalk board. 'I knew it,' she thought to herself. 'They all think I'm weird now…'

"Interesting!" one girl called out. "That's so stupid that I want to see it happen!"

"Listening to that makes me feel so much better," another girl added. "There has to be a limit to how adorable you can be!"

"Happiness, huh? Just you being here makes us plenty happy already!"

Surprised by this sudden turn of events, Iroha looked out to her new classmates, who gave her welcoming smiles all around. She then turned to Aragi next to her, who simply said, "You're already like the flowers you want to grow. That is only but the first step."

At those words, Iroha blushed brighter, and she placed her hands in front of her. "P-P-Please take care of me!" she squeaked as she bowed, and the other classmates began to clap.

* * *

It was now the end of the day, and Iroha began to pack her bag with her notebooks. She let out a sigh, relieved that her first day at Tokugawa Academy was finally over. The lessons seemed a bit complicated, but she understood them pretty well. But now it was time for rest.

"Nice meeting you, Iroha-chan!" called out one of her classmates as they left for the day, and Iroha simply waved.

"Everyone couldn't stop talking about you." Iroha turned to see the green-haired girl, Shoukusari Ran, now accompanied by a petite blonde. "You made quite an impression."

"Ah, really?" Iroha scratched her cheek a little. "That's quite embarrassing…maybe I made too much of an impression…"

"Oh, but that was such a wonderful thing you said," added the blonde girl. "Spreading happiness and joy…so pure hearted. Not many people are like that."

"Let me introduce you. This is Amagi Yumi."

Yumi bowed slightly, and Iroha returned the bow.

"Hey, hey," came another voice from behind Iroha. She turned to see a blue-haired girl with a single dango-styled bun on the back of her head. "That thing you said about spreading happiness and joy. Can you really do it?"

Iroha looked at her, as this girl seemed entirely uninterested in her. She nodded and replied, "I believe so. Even if it's the smallest group of people, and even if it's just one person. If someone ends the day with a smile on their face because of me, then I think I did my job."

The girl stared at her, and then a bright grin formed on her lips. "Wow, you're kinda cool. Just like I thought you'd be."

"You'd…thought I be?"

"And let me introduce to you this one. This is Aoba Tomoyo."

"Hey, hey, 'this one?' That's rude." Tomoyo puffed up her cheeks as she glared at Ran.

"Why not? We're friends, aren't we?" Ran let out a sly smirk.

"Ah, please, no fighting," Yumi stammered, putting her hands between the two. "But Iroha-chan. Why don't you walk home with us?"

Iroha blinked a bit and looked at the other two, who gave her agreeing nods. "Sure! Let's go!"

* * *

The four of them had left the school grounds and walked down the normal route. While Tomoyo was in the lead, talking and making funny gestures to Yumi and Ran, Iroha followed behind. The three of them seemed like close friends that intruding on them seemed rude. She didn't know what to say, but it was a pleasure watching them have fun.

"Iroha-chan, you came from Hikari-cho, right?" asked Yumi, who turned her head back to her. "More accurately, your previous school."

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Iroha began to catch up with the three. "I went to Nakamura Junior High for my first year because…well, I didn't have the confidence at the time to get into Tokugawa Academy like my sister did."

"So what made you enroll now?" questioned Ran.

Iroha looked back to her days in Nakamura. She thought about it, and a small smile formed on her lips. "When I was only a first year, there was a girl in my class. She was very strong-willed and confident. She said she would get into that prestigious prep school, Jyuunisujou. A lot of the students there resent Jyuunisujou because of the class difference. When I told her that I wanted to go to Tokugawa Academy here, she told me, 'Strength comes from the heart. So long as you have the strength and the conviction to follow through with your dreams, you can achieve anything.' And by the end of the first quarter…she was gone. She had gotten into Jyuunisujou."

"Oh wow," Tomoyo hummed as she placed her hands behind her head, walking backwards. "That's pretty cool. Not just anyone can get into Jyuunisujou…"

"It took me a full year, but when I found out I got accepted into Tokugawa Academy, I was thrilled. As if that girl was cheering me on. It's too bad I can't remember her name. I would like to thank her…"

Ran looked at Iroha's eyes, that sparkle she first saw was still there. "If you have the strength and conviction, huh…oh, Yumi, this is our stop."

Yumi turned to the corner and nodded. "Oh, right. This is where we part ways, you two." As she and Ran stepped aside, she bowed politely to the two. "Please stop by the café when you have the time." And with that, they left. It was just Tomoyo and Iroha alone now.

"Hey, now that they are gone, I wanna ask you something," Tomoyo muttered as she walked up to Iroha. "First, come with me."

Iroha blinked, perplexed by Tomoyo's strange behavior. She always seemed to be all over the place. Calm the next, and then somewhat energetic another moment later. But she complied and followed her classmate to a river bank. It was a bit off the ways from the school route, but the breeze from the river was very cool. "What did you want to ask me?"

Tomoyo looked out at the river, and then turned to Iroha. "Ran and Yumi won't let me ask because they get annoyed. But since they're gone, I gotta know. Do you know about the Pretty Cure?"

"Pretty Cure?" Iroha thought a bit, then she shook her head. "I mean, I've heard of them, but they are just an urban legend, aren't they?"

"They are FAR from an urban legend!" Tomoyo raised her voice to its highest volume as she stepped towards Iroha. "They are real! I know it! Because they saved me once! But…they disappeared, three years ago."

"Three…years ago?" At these words, Iroha felt a hazy feeling in her mind. It was like static, as if a missing picture. She could see faint scenes of the city, but the people were blurred out. She placed her hand onto her forehead.

"They are my strength. It's because they saved me that…I want to become a Pretty Cure, too. But Ran and Yumi don't believe it. They don't believe the Pretty Cure were real at all…"

"Aoba-san…"

Tomoyo looked out to the river and let out a sigh. "Come on. We should get home before it gets dark."

The two of them returned to the residential area, passing familiar houses. Tomoyo as usual was in the lead. But a man walked up to her; he seemed distressed. "Excuse me..." he weakly begged, "but can you spare some change? I need money to take a train…"

Tomoyo looked at the man, hesitant at first. "Sorry, I-"

"Here, you go!" All of a sudden, she saw a hand move in front of her. Iroha gave the man a few hundred yen coins. "You need to get home, right? Your family will miss you if you don't make it. Please be safe."

The man looked at Iroha's eyes. The sparkle in them made him bite his lip, and he solemnly bowed to her and walked away.

"Why did you do that?" Tomoyo asked.

"If he needs to get home, it's important that he does. Anything can happen at any moment. If someone were to lose a family member, they would be very sad." Iroha turned to Tomoyo with a smile. "Remember when I said that so long someone is happy at the end of the day? Well, this is just one of those things. Even the tiniest bit of compassion can make someone feel better."

"I don't think he was very happy," Tomoyo mused, "but…I see what you mean. You're an interesting person, Iroha-chan."

The man stumbled forwards, clasping the few notes and coins of yen in his hand. "Damn it…" he muttered to himself. "To ask school girls for change…how pathetic of me…if only I had a better paying job…if only I had more money…"

"More money for what?" asked a voice behind him.

The man quickly turned around in shock. A young boy in a black vest over his bare pale body, and tight black pants stood behind him. He wore a white turban over his braided silver hair. His crimson eyes sneered at the man. "God, you look pathetic. Luckily, I have the thing that'll make everything better." He held out a black lamp, the kind similar to a certain folktale. The man gazed at the lamp, mesmerized by it. "Go on, take it. Give it a rub."

As he took the lamp, he rubbed it. Out from its spout, black smoke emitted from its opening, engulfing the man as he screamed. "Your desire…" thundered an ominous voice, "…shall be GRANTED."

The boy cackled and held out his hand, clasping the lamp amid the smoke. "Now, give in to your deepest desires and become one with our clan!" As he gripped the lamp, it cracked and shattered. The smoke dispersed, and in its place stood a large, bipedaled, muscular, pig-like beast. On its back was a vertical rectangular slot, and on both of its sides was the yen symbol. A long thin mustache dangled from under its snout, and on top of its head was a single ponytail. It bore a single eye on its chiseled stomach, with ominous markings around it. "Buuhiiiiiii!" it squealed.

The boy cackled harder as he held out a large, curved sword. "Now go, Akumajin, and bring this world to its destruction!"

* * *

"Buuhiiiiiii!"

Tomoyo stopped walking and looked around. "Hey, did you hear that?" she asked Iroha.

"Was that…a pig?" Iroha turned behind her and made a faint figure down the street. It was running towards them. It eventually got bigger the closer it got. "Holy…it IS a pig!"

"Oh man, we better run!" Tomoyo grabbed Iroha's wrist and sprinted as fast as she could, with Iroha in two. However, the stomping of pig got louder and louder; it was getting closer. As Tomoyo looked back, she noticed the eye on its stomach, and she felt a cold chill. "That's…an Akumajin!"

"Wh-what?! What's an Akumajin?!" Iroha couldn't look back since she was being dragged at full force.

"They were what the Pretty Cure fought three years ago! But they disappeared along with the Pretty Cure! I thought they were gone for good, but now they're back! This is too crazy!"

"And why is he chasing us?!...Ow, Aoba-san, you're pulling me too hard!"

"The Akumajin feed off the desire of normal people and amplify them ten-fold! Their purpose is to plunge our world into darkness!...Or at least that's what I understood."

"That's too cliché! This is too cliché! This is something out of onee-san's books!"

"GIVE ME YOUR MONEY!" growled the pig, now towering over the two.

Iroha looked back in horror as the Akumajin raised its fist. "Watch out!" she yelled and let go of Tomoyo, who stumbled forward from releasing the weight behind her. She turned to watch the Akumajin swing at Iroha, sending her flying to a nearby wall.

"IROHA-CHAN!" Tomoyo screamed as the Akumajin turned its attention to her. She stepped back to a tree, cornered and frightened. She trembled as she barely kept her balance and collapsed. "Someone…help…"

Iroha laid on the pavement, weak and motionless. Her dazed eyes watched the Akumajin get closer to her classmate. "Ao…ba….-san…" she muttered, reaching out to her. She felt like she could pass out from the pain. "He…lp…some…one…"

"Will you answer the call?"

A familiar woman's voice resounded in Iroha's head. She looked up to find the platinum blonde-haired woman from school standing over her. She felt the woman pick her up and seat her against the wall, crouching to her.

"It's…you…the one from before…"

"I said, will you answer the call?" The woman asked again, now holding the white cell phone from earlier. Iroha looked down and stared at the cell phone. All of a sudden, it began to ring. Its tone was bubbly and light. She looked up at the woman, and then down at the phone. "What will you do?" the woman asked one more time.

Iroha slowly reached out for the phone and opened it. All there was on the top half was a black screen, but the symbol on the top of the phone was on the screen. The top point of the star was glowing pink. "What is it you desire?" a voice, the voice from before, asked Iroha from its speaker.

Just as Iroha heard it, she remembered everything she had experienced today. She remembered what she said to her classmates, about wanting everyone to be happy. And now an Akumajin was about to hurt one of her classmates. She gripped the phone tightly and responded, "I want…I want to protect everyone's happiness! I want to bring joy to the world and protect it from those who want to destroy it!"

The phone was silent, but then it began to beep and replied, "Your desire…has been acknowledged. Please dial プリキュア and answer the call!"

The instructions were unusual, but Iroha felt like she understood it. The woman helped her to her feet and stepped back as Iroha held the phone in front of her. Her thumb pressed against the keypad. "PU! RI! KYU! A! SENDING NOW!" A bright light filled the screen, and Iroha closed the phone, holding it over her head.

"LIVE ON! Pretty Cure!"

* * *

In the dark world that seemed boundless and void of any end, a bare Iroha, her body glowing in a pink light, descended upon a reflective surface. The minute her toe made contact, the reflective surface rippled like water; the dark world had changed rapidly. The darkened sky became a day blue as the reflective surface sprouted into a field of green covered with many flowers of different colors. The flowers burst into petals that surrounded Iroha as if in a dance.

Iroha raised her arms as the petals fluttered around her body. They made contact with the light from her torso, and a black vest formed, adorned with two golden heart-shaped buttons and frilled in the front. A white shirt had also sprouted from the inside, its shoulders puffing out. Her skirt next bloomed under the vest, shaping into short flower petals and completed with a white fluff underneath. As Iroha spread out her arms, the petals formed white gloves over her hands, completing them with black cufflinks.

She took a petal, pink in color, and bent over, touching her glowing legs with it. In an instant, from her foot to her thigh, she wore pink shoes with white petals on it over long black thigh-high socks. She ran her hands over her hair, and spread them out; her pink puffy twin tails twisted and bloomed into what looked like flowers, spread out at the very ends like petals. Her hair had also became a lighter pink than its usual magenta. The twin tails were completed with two white petal-shaped hair ties. Over her hairline, the petals formed a small flower crown made of azaleas that hung over her small bangs. Finally, two pink ribbons were attached onto her; one behind her tailbone, long and down to her calves, and one around her frilly collar, small and short like a bowtie. On the center of it was a heart-shaped brooch with a pentagram-styled star on the center.

She took the cell phone into her hand and ran it from the second bottom button to her right hip. It formed a long golden cord from the clip on its side, and when she tapped it onto her hip, a white pouch magically replaced it, held in place to her hip.

As she opened her pink eyes, Iroha finally rested her feet onto the field. She brought her arms upward, as if a ballet dancer would, and held her left palm under her brooch while her right arm extended, her feet shoulder width apart.

* * *

The Akumajin got closer to Tomoyo and raised its fist upwards. "Give…me…your money!" it squealed and launched its fist forward.

Tomoyo screamed and covered her head, bracing for impact. She heard a loud crashing sound, but she felt no pain. As she opened her eyes, she looked ahead. Instead of the Akumajin, there was a girl with pink hair dressed like a magical casino dealer holding the fist with one hand. She only could see her back, shaded by the daylight. "Who…are you?" she asked.

The girl looked back at Tomoyo and smiled. "Sorry for the wait," she replied.

Tomoyo's eyes widened. 'That voice…'

"Whaaaat?!" yelled the boy in the back behind the Akumajin. "What the hell is this?! Who do you think you are stopping my rampage?!"

The girl turned her attention to the boy. As the Akumajin pressed on her hand with its fist, she retracted her arm. The fist moved closer, but was still stopped from reaching her head. And with a powerful force, she pushed its arm far backward the sent the Akumajin flying onto the pavement. "I am the one who will protect her happiness and joy!" she declared.

She raised her right hand with her index finger extended. "One!" She opened all of her fingers. "Ten!" She clenched her hand into a fist in the air. "A hundred!" She brought her hand to her chest and swiped it outward to the side. "A thousand!" At that instant, from the trees to the grass below, many flowers bloomed, all of which were azaleas. "Bloom, fields of green, and bring happiness to the world!" As she said this, she brought her arms together and spread them out from her body. She then clasped her too hands together tightly and brought them close to her chest. As she opened her hands, a single azalea flower bloomed. "Cure Azalea!"

Tomoyo leaned back on the tree after Cure Azalea's announcement. Her heart was a flutter, her eyes sparkling. "C-Cure Azalea…" she muttered. "A…A Pretty Cure!"

"Cure Azalea?!" gasped the boy. "Shoot, that means…you're a Pretty Cure, aren't you?! Damn, I didn't think they still existed. I was told that they disappeared and that the time to attack was now…" He pondered a bit, rubbing his head on his turban. Then he grit his teeth and growled. "Aaaaaaagh! It doesn't matter! You're just a newbie Pretty Cure, anyway! You don't have what it takes to stand up against the Yokubuzoku! Akumajin, get your ass up and GO!"

"BUHIIIIIII!" The Akumajin stumbled forward from the wall it had crashed to and charged towards Cure Azalea. She stood calmly as it got up in front of her and swiped at her with a hook.

"Watch out!" Tomoyo called out, but Cure Azalea was already hit…or so they thought! The fist had ran through a flurry of petals that slowly fell to the ground. Confused, the Akumajin looked around to found Cure Azalea standing next to it. It growled and swung its other arm at her to a back fast. But it happened again; upon contact, Cure Azalea had disappeared in a mess of petals.

"Down here."

The Akumajin's head looked down, but Cure Azalea was standing in front of its torso where the single eye on its abs rested. The eye was looking up at her, shaken. "I will not let you hurt anyone anymore!" She pulled back her arm and launched it towards the eye with a powerful punch. The Akumajin screamed as it stumbled back, holding its stomach. Azalea nimbly sprinted towards the monster, jumping to its face and unleashing a barrage of spinning kicks to the cheek. She stepped her toe onto the Akumajin's pig snout and jumped high into the air off of it. As she descended, her hands clasped together in a pink glow. She roared as she got closer to the Akumajin until her hands slammed onto the back of its skull.

The Akumajin toppled forward, and Cure Azalea landed behind it. Her phone on her right hip began to ring, and she flipped it open. "You may now answer the call!" said the voice on the phone as she pressed the Send key with her thumb. A bright light emanated from the phone and transformed into a single azalea flower. Cure Azalea grabbed it and opened her hand once more, releasing a countless number of petals from her hand. They began to surround the Akumajin as they lifted it up into the air. "Pretty Cure! Azalea Petal Dance!" The petals began to dance around the area, releasing a sweet fragrant smell as Cure Azalea spun around and clapped her hands twice.

From the sphere of petals containing the Akumajin glowed a bright light. The single eye on the Akumajin's stomach began to close. "How nice…" it hummed as its body disintegrated. The petals burst outward, releasing the man who Tomoyo and Iroha had encountered before, slowly floating down onto the pavement.

"Ah, shoot," the boy of the Yokubuzoku muttered to himself. "That…did not go as planned. I better report this." And quickly, he disappeared from sight.

* * *

Cure Azalea set the man down against a nearby wall, letting out a sigh of relief as she watched everything, the damage caused by the Akumajin, turn to normal.

"I can't belieeeeeeeve iiiiiiit!" yelled a voice behind her as the bystander with blue dango-styled hair jumped onto Azalea's back. "It's true! Pretty Cure DO exist! I'm touching and feeling a Pretty Cure right now!"

"H-Hey! Aoba-san!" Cure Azalea gasped as she shook Tomoyo off her, though the girl clung on for dear life. "Stop! You're heavy!"

"You even know my name! How do you know my name?!" Tomoyo was on a full hype meeting one of the heroes she was talking about. "This is so cool! Hey, do you remember me? Maybe not, you look like my age! Are you a new Pretty Cure?! Where did you come from?! Do you live around here?!"

The barrage of questions was beginning to stress Azalea as she finally unclasped Tomoyo's hands and set her down on the street in front of her. "Calm down, okay? Let me explain…"

But Tomoyo wasn't listening. She was looking around after everything had been fixed. But something wasn't right. "Hey…did you see a girl with like dark pinkish hair? Had them in puffy twin tails? A flower in one of them? Is she okay? Did you get her to safety?"

Seeing the worried look on Tomoyo's face made Cure Azalea realize something: she had disappeared from the fight after being attacked by the Akumajin. She had just become a Pretty Cure out of the blue, but she was not there for Tomoyo. Azalea slowly let go of Tomoyo's hands and took out her white cell phone. "Aoba-san…don't panic, okay? Don't scream, don't shout. Just…remain calm, okay?" Flipping the phone open, she pressed the Call End key. Her body glowed a bright pink and dispersed, revealing her form as…

"I-Iroha-chan?!" Tomoyo gasped. "You…you're a Pretty Cure…"

"Yeah…well, no, not really," Iroha stammered as she looked at her phone. "This…was just given to me by some woman. And with it, I became a Pretty Cure…"

"That's…that's a Lifeliner!" Tomoyo pointed at the phone. "This is what the previous Cures had! You mean some random woman gave you this?"

"Uh…yeah? The previous Pretty Cures…what were their names?"

Tomoyo thought for a bit, rubbing her chin. "If I remember correctly, their names were…Cure Eve…and…Cure…"

* * *

"Dawn! Don't do this! Dawn!"

* * *

"Ah!" Iroha quickly held her hand to her the side of her head, a quick glimpse of a fuzzy scene that had been replaying in her head at night. "Cure…Dawn?"

"Yeah, those two." Tomoyo looked at Iroha up and down her body with her hands on her hip. "Though…you don't seem to be related to them…you really are a new Pretty Cure, aren't you? This is so cool! The Yokubuzoku are back, but the Pretty Cure returns with them! And she is my classmate…Sakuya…IROHA!"

"P-Please! Don't say my name out loud like that!" But Tomoyo was too excited as Iroha tried to calm her down.

Meanwhile, the blonde-haired woman watched them from afar, holding a Lifeliner in her hand. She was staring at the two, but her gaze was fixed on Tomoyo. On the Lifeliner itself, the upper right point of the star had a blue gem faintly glowing.


	2. The Bursting Bubble

**Episode 2 – The Bursting Bubble**

 _My name is Sakuya Iroha._

The sun shone through her blinds as her alarm clock beeped obnoxiously. A small hand slapped over the snooze button, and a girl with a messy magenta bedhead sat up on her bed. She rubbed her eyes and yawned as she slowly turned out from under her sheets and slid her feet into her slippers. She walked to her dresser, looking down at a small pink cellular phone with a pentagram star within a heart in the center, and she smiled.

 _And I am a Pretty Cure._

After putting on her Tokugawa Academy uniform, she brushed her hair in front of her mirror and tied them to their normal twin tail style. She then took her bag and opened the door to the hallway and the stairs.

 _A few days ago, a friend and I were attacked by a strange monster called an Akumajin, summoned by an enforcer of the rumored Yokubuzoku. That is when I awakened to my power and became a Pretty Cure._

"Good morning!" Iroha chimed happily.

"Yo!" called out a familiar, yet unexpected voice. Iroha rolled down the stairs and in front of the dining room, buttocks up. She knew that voice well, but she wasn't expecting a morning like this. The voice belonged to her classmate, Aoba Tomoyo, who was eating breakfast made by Iroha's mother. "About time you got out. It's rude to keep your guests waiting, you know."

"Well, excuse me, but isn't it rude to just come into someone's house uninvited?!" Iroha yelled, flailing her arms about. "Why are you here?! Why are you eating our breakfast?!"

"Well…" The blue-haired girl turned to a plate of eggs and held them up. "I rushed out to meet up with you, but I hadn't taken consideration of the time. So I was hungry, and your mom let me in." She then proceeded to shovel the eggs down her mouth like a human garbage disposal. Iroha lowered her head and slapped her palm onto her face.

 _This is Aoba Tomoyo. She is my classmate at Tokugawa Academy. And…she was there when I became a Pretty Cure, so she knows my secret identity. She is a huge fan of the Pretty Cure, so for the last few days, she's been trying to hound me for information. I told her I don't know anything, but I don't think on a topic like this, she won't take no for an answer…_

"What's all the noise?" asked another voice coming from the stairs. It was Iroha's older sister, Seika, who had just awoken earlier than she normally does. She opened her eyes a bit and saw Tomoyo at the table. 'She is…' she thought to herself.

"Oh, good morning, onee-chan," Iroha smiled and began to push her sister to the table. "You're up early today."

"Well, I can't sleep if you're the one yelling," Seika yawned as she took her seat next to Tomoyo. "You must be Iroha-chan's friend. Tomoyo-san, was it?"

Tomoyo put down her plate and nodded energetically. "Yup! Aoba Tomoyo!"

'Aoba…I see,' Seika thought to herself again and shook Tomoyo's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Tomoyo-san. I'm sorry for all the trouble my sister has caused you."

"O-Onee-chan!" Iroha blushed as she took her seat.

"Oh, Iroha's no trouble at all. She's very nice and cool and kind! You must've raised her diligently!"

Seika looked at Tomoyo after her response and smiled warmly. "Thank you…please, continue taking care of Iroha-chan for us."

Iroha turned away, beet red as they continued their exchanges. 'I'm right here, you know,' she thought to herself embarassed.

* * *

"We're off!" Iroha called out from the door.

"Okay, have a good day, you three!" her and Seika's mother answered back as the two of them plus Tomoyo headed down the school path.

The three of them talked about many things, mostly how their first week at Tokugawa Academy had been. With Seika in high school, Tomoyo was learning many things about the other high schools around the Etsukyou area. She was interested in Seika's deep hobby of reading and was amazed that she can read and speak in English. But at the normal intersection, Seika bid her farewell to her sister and her friend as she watch them cross the street. Seika looked at Tomoyo and smiled, saying to herself, "She's grown up…" and turned to the other path.

"Hey, hey," Tomoyo whispered as the she and Iroha were closer to the crowd of Tokugawa Academy students, "so now that it's just the two of us, why don't you tell me more about the Pretty Cure?"

"I said I don't know anything," Iroha huffed. "I really don't. I haven't even transformed since that day."

"Well…what about that woman who gave it to you?"

Iroha paused for a bit, trying to remember the woman with long platinum blonde hair. She had encountered her at school when transferred over, and once again later that day. But she never saw her again. Did she really work at that school? Or was she an elusive staff member hiding secrets? What connection did she have with the Pretty Cure? "I really don't know what to tell you," she sighed. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around this person…why me of all people? I don't even know anything about the Pretty Cure from three…years ago…"

Tomoyo watched Iroha daze of at that point, as if she was lost in a fog. "Hey, Iroha? Are you okay?"

Iroha was slow to respond, but she snapped back to reality a bit later. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I was just…thinking."

"That's right, you said you can't remember anything from three years ago…" Tomoyo rubbed her chin and contemplated for a bit. "Hm…maybe you were a Pretty Cure back then, but you lost your powers and you don't remember…but that doesn't make sense, since rumors state there were only two Pretty Cure…"

"Hey, you shouldn't be thinking about it too much," Iroha chuckled. "You'll hurt yourself. Besides, I really don't know what else to tell you. You're the first person who's ever told me anything about the Pretty Cure."

"You're right…it's been days and you haven't supplied me with the information I needed…" Tomoyo's eyes lit up and she leaned into Iroha's space, holding up her hand to Iroha's mouth like she was holding a microphone or a tape recorder. "Then answer me this! What was it like being a Pretty Cure? Where did all your power come from? How did you know what to do?!"

Iroha began to sweat from this sudden attention and panicked. "S-Stop it!" she yelled and pushed Tomoyo away from her. Tomoyo fell back on her buttocks, her bag falling and the contents spilling out. Among them was a container of bubble soap that children played with. "I-I'm sorry!" Iroha apologized as she began to gather the rest of Tomoyo's things. But as she reached for the bubble container, Tomoyo quickly reacted.

"Don't touch it!" she screamed and grabbed it, clutching it close to her chest as her back was against the wall. She breathed heavily as she glared at Iroha, protecting the container. The other students that were passing by looked at the two of them as Iroha felt guiltier. She put Tomoyo's things into her bag and passed it to her.

"I-I'm sorry…" she muttered and headed on to school ahead.

Tomoyo watched her go as she held on to both her bag and the bubble container. She grit her teeth and knocked the bottom of her fist against the wall behind her.

"Not again…I did it again…"

* * *

During class, Iroha took her notes as one of her classmates began to try and read a passage in English. She tried to turn her head behind her to see if Tomoyo was doing anything.

Tomoyo was pretending to write notes, but all she was doing was slowly scribbling over the same space with her pencil until the area darkened. She let out a small sigh, but as she looked up and saw Iroha taking a glance at her, Tomoyo looked away out the window.

Iroha felt rejected and turned back to her notes, feeling a heavy pain in her chest. Unbeknownst to her, Ran was watching them.

* * *

"Do you have a minute?" Ran asked as Iroha took out her lunch box from her desk. She was accompanied by Yumi, as usual.

Iroha looked up in a daze, but she nodded silently. Ran and Yumi took their seats from their desks and brought them over.

"You seem down. Are you okay?" Yumi inquired. "Normally, you're chipper than this."

"Ah…well…" Iroha looked at her lunch box and untied it slowly. "…It's nothing, really."

"It's Aoba, isn't it?" Ran stated. "I saw the way you were looking at her. You also did not come with her to school this morning." Iroha didn't say anything back. "…Has she been bothering you with anything?"

"B-Bothering? No!" Iroha quickly retorted. "No, it's nothing like that. It's just…well…"

"It's okay, Iroha-chan." Yumi placed her hand on top of Iroha's. "We understand. After all, the two us grew up with Tomoyo-chan."

Iroha looked up at the two. "R-Really? I mean…so…you know then?"

Ran sighed as she opened her lunchbox. "Aoba has a fixation on Pretty Cure, but also with other things. When she gets excited, she becomes so hyper that it's hard for others to keep up. She never had a lot of friends as a result."

Iroha paused as she remembered how excited Tomoyo was the last few days, especially this morning when she was interrogating her. It was highly unusual, but she could see it now. But the way Ran had put it was a little… "So…are you two friends with her out of pity?"

Yumi stopped eating and laughed a little. Ran let out a small chuckle. "Pity? Oh no, nothing like that!"

"We became friends with her because we understand how she feels." Ran smiled as she turned to Iroha. "You too, right? Something you are so passionate about that you would give even your soul for."

"My, Shoukusari-san, how romantic!" Yumi laughed.

Iroha thought about it and smiled as she looked at the empty desk behind her. "Yeah…I kind of do…"

* * *

As the spring wind blew the clouds in front of the sun, Tomoyo sat in its shade on the roof of the school. She had her lunchbox sitting at her side, still tied up in its cloth, and her container of bubble soap in her hands. She stared at the tiled concrete floor and sighed heavily. As she closed her eyes, she remembered some haunting memories.

" _Sorry, Aoba, but you're weird when you get excited. It's kind of scary."_ A younger Tomoyo watched her classmates walk away from her when they were supposed to play together years ago.

" _Did you hear? Aoba is obsessed with the Pretty Cure!" "No way, really? That's so weird!" "It's not like she'd ever be one, anyway!"_ Tomoyo in elementary school could hear her classmates talk about her within earshot and put her dreams down. She slumped down on her desk and placed her face inside her arms.

" _Excuse me, Aoba-san?"_ Tomoyo looked up at the voice talking to her. It was a green-haired girl and her pale-blonde companion, who were also classmates. _"Will you tell us more about these Pretty Cure?"_ Tomoyo, who had tears in her eyes but had been trying to hide them bit her bottom lip and nodded.

"Aoba-san…" Tomoyo looked up and found herself on the roof of her school again. She looked up to find Iroha standing over her as she closed the door behind her. She pushed her skirt under her and sat by Tomoyo on the other side of the door. "I was wondering where you were."

"What do you want…" Tomoyo coldly asked, turning back to the floor.

"Nothing. I was worried about you."

"I appreciate the concern, but you don't need to worry about me…" She slowly closed her eyes. "I can handle it. I've always handled it for years…"

Iroha looked at Tomoyo and smiled. "My grandma owns a greenhouse in Kanto," she said as she looked ahead of her. "When my family and I went to visit, she would always show me all the new flowers she grew. It was a public place, so everyone always came by to help water or feed the plants. And when they saw how colorful and pretty they were, they would be happy, as if all their troubles were blown away. Grandma says that by sowing the seeds of happiness to others, we can spread happiness around the world, like a garden."

"Isn't that your dream?" Tomoyo asked.

"In a sense. That's why…I decided that when I grow up, I will own my own greenhouse. I will plant many different flowers, just like my grandmother. And I will give them to people, so they can continue to plant the seeds of happiness around the world. In our earth, and in our hearts."

"…Why are you telling me this?" The girl was puzzled why this person was telling her such irrelevant information.

Iroha placed her hand over her chest. "It's because I understand how you feel. To be obsessed with something to the point that people will think you're weird. They will shun you and make you feel worthless." As Tomoyo looked up at her, Iroha turned to her as well. "People used to make fun of my name because it was unusual. My sister loved to read, so she named me after the Iroha. It's a poem that uses each basic Japanese syllable once. At first, I used to hate my name for it, but when she taught it to me, I learned many things from it. I learned of her love and devotion to raising me. She made me happier than anyone ever had in my life, and I want to spread that happiness to many others."

Listening to Iroha, Tomoyo turned to her bubble container and held it up. "My brother…gave this to me. He is studying in America for psychology, so he sends me these once every year since he left."

"Why does he send you those?"

"When I was young, I used to be bullied for my hyperactivity. So he told me that if I blow these, it'll calm me down. He said that the bubbles I blow contain everything about me, from the good to the bad. And when they pop, they are dispelled. The things I love about me, the things I hate about me, I don't have to care about them anymore. It was so I can think clearly about what I want to say, and how to say them without scaring anyone. I used to think he also didn't like the way I acted. But…I know that deep down, he's worried about how lonely I am. But he's also telling me that the only way I can help myself is by making the change. So…"

Tomoyo twisted the cap and dipped it a couple of times. She then lifted the wand to her lips and blew. A few bubbles floated ahead of her, one by one. Iroha smiled wide as she crawled towards Tomoyo and the bubbles in wonder. "That pushiness, my weirdness…if I can just get over that and try to be someone people will like. But…the Pretty Cure are important to me because…they saved my life once. I was attacked by an Akumajin three years ago, and they rescued me. Ever since, I wanted to be just like them. I wanted to protect people like them. But everyone thought I'm just a weird girl and that I scare them away…" She bit her lower lip as her hands shook.

But Iroha reached out and held her hands gently. "You're not weird. You're passionate. And with passion, you can grab anything you want." She took Tomoyo's hand holding the wand and dipped it into the bubble soap. Then she lifted it to their mouths as she pressed her head against Tomoyo's. "The things we love about ourselves, the things we hate about ourselves. Let's put them all into this one bubble. And even when it pops, the friendship it symbolizes will always be forever." She smiled warmly. "Because we're both a couple of weirdos!"

Tears began to stream down Tomoyo's face as she turned to the wand. They both took a deep breath and blew into the wand. A larger bubble, bigger than the ones before, floated up into the air. "Oh my gosh! It's so huge!" Tomoyo gasped as she stood up. "I've never made one of these before! Iroha!"

As Iroha stood up, she embraced Tomoyo. "Thank you for being my friend…"

Tomoyo just stood there, both hands holding each bubble part. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Iroha. "Thank you…I'm sorry…Thank you…"

Behind the door, Yumi wiped her tears as Ran pressed against the closed door with a soft smile on her face.

* * *

The day ended with the four girls leaving the school together. This time Iroha was in the lead, humming to herself.

Tomoyo looked at Iroha and sighed to herself. "I was completely caught in her pace," she muttered to herself.

"But when you say it like that, it doesn't sound like a bad thing," Yumi chimed. "In fact, you almost feel glad."

As Tomoyo looked up at Iroha, she remembered the few days they spent together. When she declared her dream to the entire class, when she willingly threw herself in the fray to protect her from the Akumajin, and when she accepted Tomoyo for who she was. There were few people in her life who have done that for her, such as Yumi and Ran. And even though she felt that she always annoyed the two of them, she had faith that Iroha wouldn't be like that. Because, as she said, she is also a "weirdo." "We're all weirdos, aren't we?"

"Hm? Did you say something?" Ran raised her eyebrow in response.

"No~thi~ng!" Tomoyo ran ahead and threw herself onto Iroha's back, the two laughing gleefully.

Ran looked at Yumi as her companion shrugged. "Hey, this is where we split up. Will you two be okay on your own?"

"No worries! I got a hero on my side!" Tomoyo grinned as she hung off Iroha's neck.

"T-Tomoyo!" Iroha blushed and waved her hands. "She's kidding! She's just high off of energy!"

Yumi giggled as she waved to the two of them and departed with Ran at the corner. She whispered to Ran, "They're on a first name basis. Why don't you try to be like that, Shoukusari-san?"

Ran cleared her throat as she blushed slightly. "I could say the same about you, Amagi…at least address me by my first name."

"Yes, yes…"

* * *

By the river bank, a boy from another high school sat on the grass with his hands on his head. He sighed woefully as he took out a paper. It seemed to be an exam, marked with a 72 in a red pen. "How did it come to this…" he droned. "I studied hard…but dad's not gonna like this. To him, I've already practically failed…" He then threw himself onto the grass. "Maybe I should just drop out and become a delinquent…school is just so hard and a waste of time…"

"What was that?"

The boy's eyes widened and scrambled onto his feet. Behind him was a young boy with a black vest over his skinny pale body, tight black pants, and a white turban around his braided silver hair, grinning devilishly. He held out a black lamp towards him. "You just want good grades, right? Make a wish with this. Knock out the competition."

"Knock out…the competition?" The boy reached out for the lamp and held it close.

"Go on. Give it a rub."

As if under a hypnotic suggestion, the boy rubbed the lamp, and black smoke began to envelop him. He screamed in horror and pain as a voice thundered over him, "Your desire…shall be GRANTED!"

* * *

Iroha and Tomoyo walked down the path along the river, laughing with each other as they conversed. "Really? So that's what Nakamura is like?"

"I mean, they have their own myth!" Iroha giggled to herself. "Like a demon? Really? The superstitions get really out of hand. I wonder how they're all doing…"

"You must've studied extremely hard to come here."

"Don't remind me. Seika would study with me night after night, and before I knew it, I was top of my class…I guess determination does that for you?"

"GUAAAAAGGGGH!"

The sudden cry on the riverbank disrupted their thoughts as they turned to the source. What they saw was a black fog isolated in a single space. "It can't be…" Iroha gasped.

In the fog, two strong arms emerged that blew away the smoke. The clawed arms belonged to a large black bear wearing a torn school uniform and a wearing what looks like a school gangster's cap. On its stomach was a single eye. "Ohhh, you're strong! You'll definitely 'knock out the competition' like that!" the turbaned boy cackled as the Akumajin roared.

"Tomoyo, stay back," Iroha said as she passed her bag to her friend.

"Wait! You're going to fight alone?!" Tomoyo exclaimed.

"There's not much we can do," she replied as she took her Lifeliner from her bag. "I have to stop it. Even if I'm doing it alone…"

"No! We're friends! I'll fight with you!" Iroha looked back at Tomoyo's determined face and nodded, and the two of them slid down the grass.

The boy turned around at the sound of their footsteps and grinned. "What's this? The Pretty Cure have arrived?"

Iroha pointed at the boy. "Y-Yokubuzoku, I'll stop your reign of terror here!"

The boy noticed Iroha's shaking legs and cackled. "Are you kidding? You can barely stand! Tell you what. I, the great Alibaba, will grant you mercy. Akumajin! Give them a swift death!" The Akumajin growled and sprinted towards the two on all fours as Iroha tried to open her Lifeliner.

"I got this…I got this!" she told herself. She found her hands held by Tomoyo's as her friend kept her still. "Thanks…" With her determination renewed, Iroha readied her thumb.

"PU! RI! KYU! A! SENDING NOW!" As a bright light filled the screen, Tomoyo took a few steps back. Iroha closed the phone, holding it over her head.

"LIVE ON! Pretty Cure!"

* * *

In the dark world that seemed boundless and void of any end, a bare Iroha, her body glowing in a pink light, descended upon a reflective surface. The minute her toe made contact, the reflective surface rippled like water; the dark world had changed rapidly. The darkened sky became a day blue as the reflective surface sprouted into a field of green covered with many flowers of different colors. The flowers burst into petals that surrounded Iroha as if in a dance.

Iroha raised her arms as the petals fluttered around her body. They made contact with the light from her torso, and a black vest formed, adorned with two golden heart-shaped buttons and frilled in the front. A white shirt had also sprouted from the inside, its shoulders puffing out. Her skirt next bloomed under the vest, shaping into short flower petals and completed with a white fluff underneath. As Iroha spread out her arms, the petals formed white gloves over her hands, completing them with black cufflinks.

She took a petal, pink in color, and bent over, touching her glowing legs with it. In an instant, from her foot to her thigh, she wore pink shoes with white petals on it over long black thigh-high socks. She ran her hands over her hair, and spread them out; her pink puffy twin tails twisted and bloomed into what looked like flowers, spread out at the very ends like petals. Her hair had also became a lighter pink than its usual magenta. The twin tails were completed with two white petal-shaped hair ties. Over her hairline, the petals formed a small flower crown made of azaleas that hung over her small bangs. Finally, two pink ribbons were attached onto her; one behind her tailbone, long and down to her calves, and one around her frilly collar, small and short like a bowtie. On the center of it was a heart-shaped brooch with a pentagram-styled star on the center.

She took the Lifeliner into her hand and ran it from the second bottom button to her right hip. It formed a long golden cord from the clip on its side, and when she tapped it onto her hip, a white pouch magically replaced it, held in place to her hip.

As she opened her pink eyes, Iroha finally rested her feet onto the field. She brought her arms upward, as if a ballet dancer would, and held her left palm under her brooch while her right arm extended, her feet shoulder width apart.

* * *

The Akumajin closed in on Iroha, who raised her arm as she blocked a swipe from its claw. Immediately, she thrust her fist forward towards the eye that sent it sliding back.

She raised her right hand with her index finger extended. "One!" She opened all of her fingers. "Ten!" She clenched her hand into a fist in the air. "A hundred!" She brought her hand to her chest and swiped it outward to the side. "A thousand!" At that instant, from the trees to the grass below, many flowers bloomed, all of which were azaleas. "Bloom, fields of green, and bring happiness to the world!" As she said this, she brought her arms together and spread them out from her body. She then clasped her too hands together tightly and brought them close to her chest. As she opened her hands, a single azalea flower bloomed. "Cure Azalea!"

"There she is…" Alibaba grumbled as he clenched his teeth. "The Pretty Cure who defeated me…Akumajin! Rip her to shreds!"

The Akumajin once more charged towards Cure Azalea, who in turn launched herself towards it. It raised its claw, but as she prepared to block, she felt a blow to her other side. She bounced off the grass as she gasped in pain.

"H-Hey!" Tomoyo yelled. "That's cheating!"

The Akumajin turned to Tomoyo and let out a sly grin. It then proceeded towards Cure Azalea. As she stood up, the Akumajin batted her away again. Petals flew from her position as she slid along the grass. Alibaba let out an obnoxious laugh. "This is what you get! I had to get a lashing at by my allies, and now I'm going to make you pay!"

"Stop it!" Tomoyo tried to run towards Cure Azalea, but she was stopped by a blade to her neck. Alibaba glared at her as his scimitar was pointed towards her.

"Don't ruin my fun, little girl," he growled. "I'm a bit annoyed. Why don't you run off, now? You can't do anything. You're not even a Pretty Cure. You're weak."

"Don't…" Cure Azalea struggled to stand up as she looked up at Alibaba and Tomoyo. "Don't touch her…don't you dare touch my friend!" All of a sudden, she felt a heavy force on her back. The Akumajin proceeded to stomp on her repeatedly. "Agh! Ghgk….Tomoyo! Run! Get away from here now!"

At the thought of running away, Tomoyo teared up. She was about to lose her new friend, someone she felt was closest to her. As she looked down at the sword, she stepped back. She bit her bottom lip and turned around, running up the hill and along the path.

"Ha ha…ha ha ha ha! You see that, Pretty Cure?! Your friend abandoned you!" The sight of it excited Alibaba. "This is what you get…when you mess with the Yokubuzoku!"

As Cure Azalea tried to push the Akumajin off her, she grinned weakly. "Y-You're wrong…she's far from abandoning me. I know...because she's more of a Pretty Cure than I would ever be!"

* * *

Tomoyo ran back the way they had come from, panting heavily. "Help…I need someone to help…" she said to herself as she tried to catch her breath. "No…I don't care if there's no other Pretty Cure! Police! Firemen! Someone!" As she turned the corner of a crossroad, she stopped at the site of a woman with long platinum blonde hair in front of her. She had a hand bag with three Lifeliners attached to the strap. "You…are you the…"

The woman looked at Tomoyo, as if she was scanning her. She then took a Lifeliner, one with a blue gem on the upper right point of the pentagram. After detaching it from the strap, she held it out to Tomoyo."Will you answer the call?" she asked her.

"Who are you?" Tomoyo hesitantly replied. "Iroha was looking for you…"

"That is not important right now. If you want to save her, will you answer the call?"

Tomoyo looked down at the Lifeliner. Slowly, her hand reached out for it, but as she held it in her palm, it began to ring. When she opened it, a familiar voice asked, "What is it you desire?" Her eyes widened as she gripped it tightly. She bit her bottom lip, and then clenched her teeth.

"My desire…what I want is…"

* * *

Cure Azalea laid limp on the ground as the Akumajin slowly removed its foot. "Is she dead?" Alibaba walked towards her, but she jumped up and socked a punch towards his face. He stumbled back, wiping the black blood from his lips. "You…"

"Heh…sorry, I'm a little persistent," Cure Azalea grinned, trying to keep herself up. "It'll take more than that to wilt this flower."

"I'll kill you, girl!"

"Not on my watch!"

Alibaba turned around to slash what was behind him, only to find his blade cut through a container of bubble soap. The soap splashed onto his eyes, and he let out a pained howl as he held his hands over them.

Cure Azalea looked up to see Tomoyo, her clothes disheveled and her face covered in sweat. She was panting heavily. "Tomoyo…"

"Iroha…this time…I'll be the one to protect you." Much to Cure Azalea's surprise, Tomoyo held out her Lifeliner. "My desire…is to protect everyone like my heroes have protected me! I will protect everyone!"

The phone was silent, but then it began to beep and replied, "Your desire…has been acknowledged. Please dial プリキュア and answer the call!"

At lightning speed, Tomoyo pressed the appropriate keys like a true texter. "PU! RI! KYU! A! SENDING NOW!" She then closed her Lifeliner and held it over her head.

"LIVE ON! Pretty Cure!"

* * *

In the dark world that seemed boundless and void of any end, a bare Tomoyo, her body glowing in a blue light, descended upon a reflective surface. The minute her toe made contact, the reflective surface rippled like water; the dark world had changed rapidly. She was immediately engulfed in blue water, surrounded by numerous bubbles. The bubbles danced around her as she waved her arms in dance.

Holding a bubble, she touched it against her wrist, and her round puffy cufflinks and wrist wraps formed on each wrist. She spun her arms around and spread them out. The bubbles covered her body, forming a black vest and a white dress shirt, her shoulders rounded and puffed. She then descended into a larger bubble that covered her lower region and formed a round bubble-shaped skirt. The bun on her hair unraveled as its color lightened. The ends of her hair were rounded and bouncy, and more bubbles wrapped around her hair to form a larger bun wrapped in pearls. She landed on top of two more bubbles that formed her shoes with two darker blue bubbles on the outer sides of her ankles. Finally, the round ribbons on her back and on her collar formed, a heart-shaped broach with a pentagram added with it. She reached out and created a crown from the bubbles and rested it on top of her head next to her bun.

She took her Lifeliner and spun it on her right index finger until she clasped it and clapped it onto her hip, forming a pouch and a chain connected to her vest's golden heart-shaped button that held it in place.

As she opened her eyes, Tomoyo connected her index and thumb together into a circle and blew into the hole, blowing many bubbles that danced around her. She spun and landed on one foot, raising the other behind her as she shot her fist in the air as a playful gesture.

* * *

As Alibaba's vision returned to him, his burning red eyes glared ahead of him. "No…no no no no NO!" He stomped on the ground and pointed at the new Pretty Cure in front of him. "Who do you think you are, little girl?!"

"Little girl? Maybe." She smiled as she opened one hand, releasing small bubbles. "Puku, puku, pop!" she called out as each bubble popped. She then jumped up and raised her other arm, spinning around and releasing bigger bubbles. "Boom, boom, BOP!" As she landed with her spinning arm down across her body and the other upward and outward, and her legs crossed, the bubbles behind her exploded like bombs. She then stood upward and held her hands together into a circle, one leg raised behind her, and her head tilted cutely. "Cure Bubble!"

"Puku…puku…what?!"

Cure Azalea blinked and smiled. "Tomoyo…"

"I don't care anymore! You've crossed with me for the last time, girl! Akumajin!"

The Akumajin walked away from the wounded Azalea and ran towards Cure Bubble. Once more, it raised its claw. But Cure Bubble jumped up and formed a circle with her hands. She blew into it, forming a bubble that enveloped her. The Akumajin swung at her, but it bounced off and it stumbled back. The bubble around her popped, but she took a deep breath as she held up one hand with her index finger and thumb connect. She began to blow into it, releasing many bubbles. As it connected with the Akumajin's chest, they began to explode like bombs.

"What?!" Alibaba gasped.

"Woah…that's actually kind of cool," Cure Azalea said to herself and readied her stance. As the Akumajin stumbled back, she pulled back her fist and jumped forward. She punched the bear square in the back that sent it flying towards Cure Bubble. "Do it!"

Once more, Cure Bubble held her two hands together into a circle. She blew a bigger bubble that slowly floated towards the Akumajin, and as it made contact, the explosion was much bigger than any of the ones before. The force was so strong that it sent Alibaba tumbling into the river.

"Finish it now, Cure Bubble!" Cure Azalea called out.

As Cure Bubble reached for her Lifeliner and flipped it open, it yelled, "You may now answer the call!" She pressed the Send key with her thumb, and the Lifeliner glowed a bright light that enveloped both of her hands. She jumped over the Akumajin and took in a deep breath. "Pretty Cure! Big Bang Bubble Burst!" She blew a large bubble that completely sealed the Akumajin in, raising it off the ground and into the air. As she landed away from it, she spun once and release a single, small bubble, posing with her hands together in a circle. The small bubble made contact with the larger bubble, causing a massive explosion that decimated the Akumajin.

It slowly floated down as it glowed a bright light. "How nice…" it hummed as its body disintegrated. The high school student was covered in a bubble that set him down gently until it made contact with the ground, popping and effectively dropping him.

Cure Bubble wiped the sweat from her brow as Cure Azalea ran up to her and hugged her in the air, swinging around her neck. "You were incredible!" she laughed until the two of them fell.

* * *

The sun began to set, and the two of them laid on the grass, staring up at the orange sky. The student was still sleeping. "You gonna wake him up?" Tomoyo asked.

"No, I think he's been through enough," Iroha shook her head with a smile. "I can't believe it. You're a Pretty Cure now…you've achieved your dream, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo looked at her friend, and then at the Lifeliner in her hand. "No…not yet. Not until Etsukyou is free of this evil." She then sat up, looking at the river. "But first things first…we have to find that woman…"

"That woman?" Iroha sat up as well and looked down at her Lifeliner. "That's right…we have a lot of questions that need to be answered…but until then, we're partners, right?"

"Totally!" As Tomoyo raised her fist towards Iroha, the other bumped her fist to hers.

* * *

In a dark castle surrounded by a blood red sky and a desolate and ominous mountain range, Alibaba was knocked down onto the ground. He was soaked to the bone from his river dive. "You failed me, Alibaba!" boomed a menacing and evil voice.

"I-I'm sorry, Master Diabolos!" Alibaba groveled. "But the Pretty Cure…there's more of them than the last time now! Their forces are growing…soon they will be-"

"Say something as blasphemous as what you are about to say, and I will see to it that you WILL cease to exist!" Threatened, Alibaba cowered into a prostrate, not raising his head. "Lilith…you will see to it that this…inconvenience is taken care of?"

A beautiful woman with short red hair, a very revealing outfit, and long devil wings took her whip and kissed the hilt. "I would LOVE to…It's been a while since I had the chance to stretch my legs, I thought I would get fat!" She chuckled to herself as she licked her lips, preparing to depart.

* * *

Later that night, the automatic doors to a department store opened, the bells chiming as Yumi walked out with a couple of bags around her arms. She hummed a sweet tune to herself as she walked down the street under the light of the lampposts. As she continued down the street, she passed a woman with long platinum blonde hair, who was walking the opposite direction. But the woman stopped and turned to her.

"Amagi Yumi," she called out to her, and the blonde curiously turned to her head. The woman held out a Lifeliner with a yellow gem on the lower left corner of the pentagram. "Will you answer the call?"


	3. The Sweet Cream

**Episode 3 – The Sweet Cream**

"Amagi Yumi."

As her name was called out to her under the lit street lampposts, the blonde turned behind her. The one who had called her was a tall and beautiful woman with long, platinum blonde hair. She looked like an office worker, and she was holding a handbag with what looked like a pink cellphone attached to the strap. Yumi then looked down towards the woman's extended hand; it was holding another pink cellphone, one with a yellow gem on the lower left corner of the pentagram.

"Will you answer the call?"

Yumi looked at the woman, whose stoic face revealed nothing of her intentions. After the two gazed at each other for some time, Yumi tilted her head and smiled. "My my, Bitou-san, what a strange coincidence of meeting you here," she spoke. "I was just finishing up some shopping for the shop. If you would like, you may come to the café for some evening tea."

The woman called Bitou shook her head. "I'm sorry, I will have to decline, as I do not have the luxury to waste time anymore. I ask you again, Amagi Yumi. Will you answer the call?"

Yumi looked puzzled. "The call? Whatever do you mean? That is a strange request you are asking of me, Bitou-san." She looked down at the cellphone again and added, "Did you give that to Iroha-chan as well?"

Bitou's eyes widened as to how Yumi knew. "You…"

"Oh come, I do not know the exact details, but she does have a tendency to leave her bag open at times." Yumi giggled innocently and reached for the cell phone. "It's unusual for someone like you to be handing these out, and for free no less. But I can't help but wonder…if you have other intentions."

As Bitou lowered her hand, she smirked. "You ARE a tricky one. Just as I expected you to be. But rather…are you prepared to know my intentions?"

Once more, Yumi looked puzzled. But her hand began to shake. As she looked down at the cell phone, it began to ring into the night.

* * *

"Is there anything that you want while I'm out?" Iroha asked as she fixed her pink denim suspenders-style dress over a white t-shirt. After clasping the last button, she began to tie her twin tails up. Once ready, she took her Lifeline and stuffed it into the pocket of her dress as she exited the room. "It's your favorite place, right? Onee-chan?"

As she stood in front of Seika's room, she raised her hand to knock. But the door opened on its own before she could, and a sick-looking Seika answered. She had bags under her eyes and a running nose. "Sorry, Iroha-chan…" she sniffled. "Not today…"

"Are the spring allergies really getting you?"

Seika nodded weakly. "I could barely concentrate in classes, I felt like I was going to die…just go on ahead. Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure?" Iroha asked once more. After a bit of silence, Seika closed the door. And after a few more seconds, the door opened with a hand clasping a few Yen notes.

"Mille-feuille," Seika answered as she dropped the money into Iroha's hand. "Tell them it's for me. That should cover enough for the whole family."

"R-Really?! Thanks, onee-chan! I'll see you later!" After Seika closed the door once more, Iroha headed downstairs and put on her shoes. Then she opened the front door, greeted by a waiting Tomoyo. Like Iroha, Tomoyo was also wearing suspenders, but more in a pants style and of a navy color.

"Woah hey, we're matching today," Tomoyo laughed. "It's gonna be weird if we stand next to each other." Lightly punching Iroha's arm, Tomoyo then led Iroha to their destination.

"So Yumi-chan's family owns a café…" Iroha pondered.

"Oh yeah, it's very popular!" Tomoyo replied. "Yumi is pretty much the mascot of the thing. She's well-known around the area for always having satisfied customers. She's got this special skill, you know?"

"Special skill?" Iroha asked. "Like what?"

Tomoyo thought to herself, and then she grinned. "Yooouuu'll see," she sung mockingly. "If I told you, it'd ruin the surprise."

This only raised further questions, but for the sake of the surprise, Iroha decided not to ask any more.

* * *

"Welcome to the Sugar Sweet Café!" greeted a warm smile at the door. A girl with blonde short hair and a cream-colored apron bowed to the two guests. "Oh! Tomoyo-chan, you came again. And I see you've brought Iroha-chan as well."

"Hello," Iroha waved politely.

"It's her first time here, so I wanted to show her the ropes," Tomoyo boasted.

"Oh, I see." Yumi stepped up to Iroha and looked up and down her, rubbing her chin in a contemplative way. After a bit of awkward silence, she smiled. "Please have a seat. I'll be right back."

Yumi went to the kitchen as two adults came out. "Yumi," called out the woman, Yumi's mother, "take care of the store for us, okay?" The two walked towards Tomoyo and Iroha and bowed to them. "Oh, Tomoyo-chan! Thank you for your continued patronage!"

"Is this a friend o' yours?" asked the man, Yumi's father.

Tomoyo nodded. "Yup! This is Sakuya Iroha, the new transfer student at school!"

Hearing the name "Sakuya," the two parents' were shocked. "Sakuya…" the mother murmured. "You wouldn't happen to be related to a Seika, are you?"

"Y-Yes," Iroha nervously replied. "Seika is my older sister."

The father glanced at the mother, who simply nodded. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Iroha-chan. If Seika needs anything, just give the order to our sweet lil' Yumi-chan. The two of us are steppin' out for a bit t' get supplies."

"Cool! We'll take care of the place while you're gone!" Tomoyo grinned with a salute. As they waved goodbye to each other, Tomoyo and Iroha headed to an empty table by the window.

"Tomoyo," Iroha started as she pulled out her seat, "you said there was a surprise. What's the surprise?"

"Oh, did I say that?" Tomoyo feigned her ignorance as she sat down, her tongue sticking out. "Relax. It should be coming any time soon."

"But…" Iroha looked at the display of desserts and sweets near the counter. "…wait, don't I have to pick something?"

Just as Tomoyo was about to say something, Yumi walked up to their table. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said as she placed a tray in front of Tomoyo. On the plate was a crème brulee with a cup of white tea. For Iroha, it was simply a cup of red tea.

"Hey, hey," Tomoyo grumbled, pointing at her dessert. "What happened to my usual?"

Yumi only smiled and said, "There was a change. After all, the therapy works only for your current state of mind. Thus, I picked something suitable for your tastes. The white tea holds less caffeine than your usual mint. I also decided that the crème brulee suits you better than a donut, now that you have someone to share with."

After her explanation, Tomoyo looked away, blushing. "Ah…you found out…"

"I…don't understand," Iroha interrupted. "What's going on?"

"This is Yumi's specialty, and why she is the face of the Sugar Sweet Café," Tomoyo explained. "At a glance, she can tell what another person is like by simple mannerisms such as body language and speech. But because you've been with us for the last week, she had enough time to study you."

"Study me…what am I, an experiment?"

As Iroha took a sip of her tea, she felt calmer and more relaxed. As if the stress had been washed away. "This is good!" she exclaimed.

"I'm glad," Yumi smiled. "After all, I chose it just for you."

"For me?" Iroha looked down at her tea. "But…I usually drink roasted green tea. Why did you choose this for me?"

"Because you have forgotten. From the small time we were together, I learned that you could not remember anything from three years ago. But while you continue smiling, you seem stressed. You are tired, as if you are lacking sleep from it. Am I wrong?"

Iroha was taken aback from Yumi's analysis. "Hey, Iroha," Tomoyo interjected, "is that true? You never told me anything about this."

The girl glanced at her friend, and then down at her tea. "Sorry, Tomoyo," she apologized. "Yeah…I've been having recurring dreams lately. Before, it was just sporadic, but now it's become more frequent than before. And every now and then, I have flashes. As if I'm…trying to remember something. But every time I do, I have already forgotten."

Tomoyo was concerned that her friend was keeping something this important from her. She pondered what those forgotten memories were, but she never really asked about them before. In fact, she never knew that Iroha was this affected by it.

"When I try to remember…" Iroha placed her hand on her chest, "…I feel a great sadness, as if I had lost someone important to me. It hurts to know that there was someone in my life that greatly affected me, and yet I cannot put a face or name to his or her figure." She looked up at Yumi, who was troubled by this, and waved her hands frantically. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say such things!"

"It seems that I have burdened you," Yumi apologized and bowed politely. "I'm sorry. I believe I have overstepped my boundaries. I only just…"

Iroha shook her head and smiled. "No, it's okay. I've been spending the last few days thinking about it, but I chose not to tell anyone. But you were looking out for me. So thank you, Yumi-chan…I feel much better." Hearing those words brought a light to Yumi's eyes that she jumped up and hugged Iroha. "Wah! Y-Yumi-chan!"

"I'm sorry, but hearing you say that makes me so happy!" As Yumi sat down and regained her composure, she continued, "You see, that is my life's work. My specialty is called Teatime Therapy. As Tomoyo-chan has explained, I can read a person by their mannerisms, such as body language, speech and tone, and appearances. My guesses are only guesses, so they are not accurate. But if I know someone is troubled by something, I serve them one of my desserts or teas that will help soothe their worries, much like yours. And in most cases, they leave as happy customers."

"In short, Yumi's a marketing tactic," Tomoyo joked.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Embarassed, Yumi began to lightly hit Tomoyo's arm with puffed cheeks like a ruffled bird. But then she sat back down and looked at a lone man sitting at the table closest to the door. "You see that man over there?" Tomoyo and Iroha turned to him. He was slumped forward, checking his cell phone constantly. When he put it down, he would scratch the back of his head, and then he would look at his phone again. "He and his girlfriend are regular customers. But it turns out they got into a fight recently. He is constantly checking his phone, meaning he probably is waiting for a reply from her. He is possibly planning to meet her here to patch things up, but only if she does come."

"Oh wow, that's pretty specific," Tomoyo whistled. "So, what're you going to do?"

"Nothing."

Hearing this, Tomoyo almost fell out of her chair. "Hey hey, didn't you say that you would help any of your customers if they were troubled?"

"I think I understand what you're saying," Iroha interrupted. "It's not your place to say anything, is it?"

"That's right. We are, first and foremost, a café. Even if my Teatime Therapy is not needed, if someone requests something specific, I will not go against their wishes. After all, that won't make them happy. I've already learned that there are times where you shouldn't put yourself into other people's businesses." Yumi looked down solemnly.

"Yes…there are times such as those…"

* * *

A small Yumi ran through the doors of the café. She threw her bag to the ground with her yellow preschool cap as she ran around the counter. Her mother turned as she felt the small body fling itself onto her legs. She felt Yumi grip against her skirt and apron, shaking. "Yumi, dear," she soothingly whispered, "what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Yumi didn't say anything. Her father came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands of flour. He saw her daughter clinging to her mother and knelt down to her. "Honey, what's th' matter?" he asked calmly. "Were y' bullied in school?"

Once more, Yumi didn't answer. Because the two of them knew. Yumi could analyze a person accurately, even at such a young age. She was an intelligent little girl whom they felt could get into the best schools in the city as she got older. But that gift was Yumi's curse, as she willingly stuck her nose in other people's business. She was only a child, and she didn't know better. It was because she didn't know better that she found herself clinging to her mother once more.

As the years went on, she spent her years in elementary school alone. She refused to talk to others for fear of hurting them with words she herself did not fully comprehend. Because of that, many of her classmates considered her a loner and made no effort to connect with her. So Yumi kept to herself, to avoid hurting others and getting hurt.

"Are you Amagi Yumi?" asked a voice next to Yumi's desk.

The small blonde looked up. Standing next to her was cute girl with long green hair. Her eyes had a sharp look, demanding and confident. She looked affluent, and a natural born leader.

"Ran-san!" called out one of the girls on the other side of the room. "Why are you talking to her? She's so creepy?"

"So?" Ran answered back. "And it's okay to let someone be alone like this when you all have your little groups?"

"They're right, though," a timid Yumi murmured. "If you talk to me, you'll only be hurt." She gripped her skirt tightly and looked down at her desk. "If you get hurt, you'll only hate me as well."

Ran looked at Yumi and turned around, leaving. Yumi thought that this person had abandoned her as well, much like her other classmates. To her surprise, she heard the sound of metal scraping against the floor. She turned to find Ran dragging another chair towards her and sitting next to her.

"It'll take more than words to hurt me." Ran smiled gently. Yumi was amazed to see someone taking the effort to talk to her, but it would be the same. She knew that if she were to say something Ran wouldn't have liked, Ran would just leave her. "I heard rumors that you have some sort of skill. That you can find out someone's deepest secrets? Are you a mind reader? A psychic? That's pretty cool." The way Ran was playing off Yumi's analytical abilities was minor, a small jest. She couldn't be far from the truth, but she was indeed rather close. "So go ahead. I'll listen."

This was a test, Yumi thought. Ran was definitely testing her. So Yumi bit her lip as she gazed at Ran, from her head to her toes. Then she answered, silently and secretively "You…you are hiding something from your peers. Something you are embarrassed to admit. It…must be regarding to your family status or your role in the class. And…you're not ashamed of it. But you would prefer it not to be known."

Ran blinked, and Yumi assumed she hit a sore spot. Did Ran come just to tease her? To indulge in some petty rumors? Whatever the case, she was prepared for the worst.

"W-Wow…" Ran stammered. She blushed slightly as she looked at her other classmates. It didn't seem like they heard, but they were paying attention. "That's pretty cool…I didn't think anyone would find out…"

"I'm sorry," Yumi apologized and turned back to her desk. But she saw Ran's hand extended in front of her face.

"I'm Shoukusari Ran. Let's be friends, Amagi-san."

Slowly, Yumi looked up at Ran. Her face flushed, and tears slowly dripped from her cheeks. She took Ran's hand and held them close to her face.

Since then, the two of them have been inseparable. They spent their days in elementary school studying and hanging out. In time, they met Tomoyo, who told them all about the Pretty Cure. Like Ran, Tomoyo did not care about Yumi's ability and even said she had the qualifications of a Pretty Cure. For the next three years, the three of them became the closest friends.

* * *

"Yumi-chan?" Iroha waved her hand over Yumi's face, causing her to snap back into reality. "Are you okay?"

"Ah…yes, I was thinking of the old days," Yumi replied with a sweet smile. "Yes…the days where I realized that with my ability, I can make others happy. I learned to bake from my family, and started the Teatime Therapy with Shoukusari-san and Tomoyo-chan. Because instead of making others cry, I made them smile.

"Do you…do you want to protect that happiness?" Iroha asked.

"Very much so," Yumi nodded. "Just as you wish to spread happiness around you in your own way, I wish to do the same. That's what I admire about you, Iroha-chan. Since meeting you, I feel like I can reach my greatest desire. To make the world smile and worriless, from my loved ones to random strangers."

It was a noble desire, simple but meaningful. Tomoyo noticed the sparkle in Iroha's eyes. "Yumi-chan!" Iroha grabbed Yumi's hands. "Please! Become Pretty Cure with us!"

"…Eh?"

"W-W-W-W-What?!" Tomoyo stammered as she shot up from her chair. "Iroha, what're you doing?! I mean, what are you saying?!"

"You agree, don't you, Tomoyo?" Iroha was very adamant about this, as she reached into the pocket of her overalls dress and pulled out her Lifeliner. Yumi's eyes widened as she looked down at the familiar item. "Please, Yumi-chan! You have the qualities to be a Pretty Cure! So let's join forces and protect the desires of the world!" Tomoyo could only smack her forehead and slump back onto her chair.

"Pretty Cure…" Yumi echoed. "…They…fight evil, don't they?" Slowly, she took her hands away from Iroha's and set them on the table. "I'm sorry, but I must respectfully decline."

This made Tomoyo's and Iroha's jaws drop. "W-W-What?!" Tomoyo gasped. "Hold on, hold on, hold the heck ON! You decline?! Why?!"

"My hands are only meant to make others smile, not to hurt others," Yumi answered. She then stood up from her chair. "And my place is here, in this café. It's my life, my passion. If I were to lay my hand on anyone, even an enemy, I would be betraying my beliefs and everything I worked for. Please understand…"

Iroha looked at Tomoyo, who with a heavy sigh shrugged. "We understand," Iroha replied. "You have something to work for. A great desire…then in your place, we will protect your desire as Pretty Cure."

With a smile, Yumi bowed and went back to the counter, but not before taking a glance at the Lifeliner on the table.

* * *

As Iroha and Tomoyo sipped on their tea, they looked back at the man who kept checking his phone and Yumi at the counter. "I always thought that if you had the opportunity to be a hero," Tomoyo thought aloud, "you would jump at the chance of it. To be given the power to protect…wouldn't that be every kid's desire?"

Iroha looked down at the Lifeliner on their table. Why did she choose to wield the power of the Pretty Cure? To her, it was to protect someone in the face of danger. She didn't think about her own safety, especially after the last time she was beaten up by an Akumajin. But Yumi chose not to fight, whether they were an evil person or a good person. Even as a Pretty Cure, Yumi will not raise her hand on anyone. "…I think I understand Yumi-chan's intentions," Iroha responded. "Not everyone has the courage to take up arms. Some people would rather be passive and pacifistic, but that's not a bad thing. If the world did away with violence, maybe our desires would be different."

"That's like saying if there were no evil in the world," Tomoyo argued. "Without evil, there won't be any balance. In anime, they always say how good and evil have to coexist. Without evil, would we have free will?"

"Wow, that's a bit intense, Tomoyo," Iroha laughed. "But…you have a point. I think that if there wasn't evil in the world, we as humans wouldn't be able to grow and make a choice like we did. We chose to protect those that need protecting. But in Yumi's own way, she's doing the same. Akumajin…at the end of the day are still people. If I could help it, I wouldn't want to hurt them either."

As they talked, Yumi left the counter and walked to the slumped man. She put down the tray and patted his back. As he looked up, she let out a soft smile. "Everything will be okay. If you were to eat something, you will calm down."

He let out a weak smile. "Thanks…" But as he picked up his fork, his phone vibrated. In a panic, he picked it up and found a text message. His eyes widened, and he bolted out of the door.

"Ah! Your food!" Yumi called out as Iroha and Tomoyo stood up. "Did something happen, I wonder…"

* * *

The man ran down the street from the Sugar Sweet Café, panting heavily. "Chie…" he muttered. "Wait for me…Chie!"

"Chie? What kind of gaudy name is that?" asked a voice behind him. He stopped and turned around, face to face with a well-endowed woman revealing her pale skin through her skimpy clothing and long demon wings. She had round and short silver hair, but piercing crimson eyes. In her slender hands was a black lamp. "Poor boy. You look heartbroken. Or in love. Either way, it doesn't matter to me. You belong to me now." She held up the lamp and rubbed it, and a black mist emitted from it. An ominous voice growled, "Your desire…shall be GRANTED!" It enveloped the man completely, and as he screamed in pain, his body mutated in a large, silver, and muscular bodybuilder. It had a thick black braid on its bald head, and a single eye on its chiseled abs. Though mostly naked, it wore a gaudy black speedo.

"Ohhh ho ho ho!" the woman laughed obnoxiously. "How pleasant! Now, my Akumajin, let's wreak some havoc!" She placed her long nail over its head. In her mind, she could see the Sugar Sweet Café. "Starting with that ugly café you came from…"

* * *

The ground shook periodically, causing the store to shake. Iroha and Tomoyo held on to their table and Yumi hid under hers. "It can't be…" Iroha looked out the window. The first thing she saw was a gaudy black speedo that made her want to puke, but she also made out the eye on the stomach of a passing man-monster. Instantly, she recognized it. "Tomoyo! We got company!"

"Aw man, but I'm not done eating!" Tomoyo groaned and whipped out her Lifeliner from her overalls pocket. As they headed to the exit, she felt Yumi grab her pant leg.

"Wait a second…" Yumi murmured. "What…what are you two going to do?"

Tomoyo looked down at her and gave her a thumbs-up with a wink. "Protecting your desire." With a soft tug, Tomoyo broke free of Yumi's grip and headed outside the café with Iroha. The Akumajin was…just obnoxiously gross to look at. "Ugh…they get weirder every time."

"Ex-CUSE me!" yelled a woman on top of the Akumajin's shoulder. "This is my personal Akumajin! Unlike the ugly beasts that Alibaba always uses…"

As the woman caught her attention, Iroha recognized the name she just said. "Alibaba…that means you're with the Yokubuzoku!"

With a sneer, the woman spread her wings and floated off the Akumajin's shoulder. "That's right, kiddies! I am the beautiful queen of the Yokubuzoku, Lilith! All of the world's men belong to me!"

The two girls felt an ill feeling in their stomach listening to her banter. Yumi slowly opened the door behind the two, peeking out. "You guys…"

Iroha looked back and showed her Lifeliner. "Don't worry. In your place, we'll be the one to protect their desires. Especially yours! Tomoyo!"

"Okay!" The two of them flipped open their Lifeliners and pressed on the keys.

"PU! RI! KYU! A! SENDING NOW!" At the press of the Send key, they closed their Lifeliners and raised them into the air. "LIVE ON! Pretty Cure!"

* * *

In the dark world that seemed boundless and void of any end, a bare Iroha and Tomoyo, their bodies glowing in their respective pink and blue lights, descended upon a reflective surface. The minute they each made contact, the reflective surface rippled like water; the dark world had changed rapidly. For Iroha, the darkened sky became a day blue as the reflective surface sprouted into a field of green covered with many flowers of different colors. The flowers burst into petals that surrounded Iroha as if in a dance. For Tomoyo, she was immediately engulfed in blue water, surrounded by numerous bubbles. The bubbles danced around her as she waved her arms in dance.

The two girls were bathed in their respective flower petals and bubbles until they had attained their Pretty Cure forms.

Iroha raised her right hand with her index finger extended. "One!" She opened all of her fingers. "Ten!" She clenched her hand into a fist in the air. "A hundred!" She brought her hand to her chest and swiped it outward to the side. "A thousand!" At that instant, from the trees to the grass below, many flowers bloomed, all of which were azaleas. "Bloom, fields of green, and bring happiness to the world!" As she said this, she brought her arms together and spread them out from her body. She then clasped her too hands together tightly and brought them close to her chest. As she opened her hands, a single azalea flower bloomed. "Cure Azalea!"

Tomoyo smiled as she opened one hand, releasing small bubbles. "Puku, puku, pop!" she called out as each bubble popped. She then jumped up and raised her other arm, spinning around and releasing bigger bubbles. "Boom, boom, BOP!" As she landed with her spinning arm down across her body and the other upward and outward, and her legs crossed, the bubbles behind her exploded like bombs. She then stood upward and held her hands together into a circle, one leg raised behind her, and her head tilted cutely. "Cure Bubble!"

* * *

Yumi's eyes widened as she had watched her two classmates transform in front of her. "Tomoyo-chan…Iroha-chan…"

Lilith raised an eyebrow with a sly grin. "Oh?" she whistled. "So you're the two Pretty Cure that have been giving Alibaba a hard time. I assure you, I'm no pushover like he is. Akumajin!"

The Akumajin lunged forward with its arms out. Cure Azalea and Bubble stepped back with their fists, Azalea's left and Bubble's right, pulled far back. "Stand back!" Azalea commanded Yumi. With their front legs, the two Cures pushed themselves forward and simultaneously punched the Akumajin in the stomach. The three of them were brought farther from the Café and into the open street.

As the Akumajin slid on its back, Azalea bounced off while Bubble hovered over. She formed a circle with her index finger and thumb and held it close to her mouth. "Bubble Barrage!" As she blew into her fingers, many small bubbles flew down towards the Akumajin lying on its back. With each contact, the bubbles exploded onto the Akumajin. It couldn't stand while Bubble was attacking it, so it reached out and grabbed the nearby Azalea. The girl waved her arms as the Akumajin threw her at Bubble.

"Bubble!" Azalea screamed.

"Woah woah woah!" Bubble stopped her attack, but she was too slow to react and felt the full force of her partner's body slamming onto hers. The two of them were thrown at a nearby building and bounced off its store canopy and onto the pavement. "Ooow…"

"Sorry," Azalea apologized as she helped Bubble up. She glared at the Akumajin that was advancing and placed her hands together. "Keep it busy. I need some time."

"Gotcha," Bubble nodded and rotated her arm. "Come and get me, big…boy…man….Akumajin thing!" After she taunted, she launched herself at the burling Akumajin. She launched a powerful midair right roundhouse, but the Akumajin used the back of its hand to block. She immediately followed with a spin kick with the left leg brought the Akumajin's hand into its zone; as she landed on its wrist, she jumped up to its head and delivered a powerful left uppercut to its chin. "DORYAAAH!" she roared as she grabbed her left wrist with her right hand and slammed it down onto the Akumajin's bald head. "Take that you weirdo perverted-looking thing!"

But as the Akumajin received the blow, it grabbed Tomoyo's leg. "Wh-what?!" The eye on its stomach gave a sneer as the Akumajin began to swing Tomoyo by the leg, slamming her from one side to the other. It then threw her towards the Café where she crashed onto the awning and rolled down in front of Yumi.

"T-Tomoyo-chan!" Yumi called out as her friend laid there. She ran to her, but the crack of Lilith's whip stopped her. "Eek!"

"What do you think you're doing, girl?" Lilith scowled. "Don't take away from my fun."

"Your fun? Y-You're taking pleasure in hurting others!"

"And? Well, it really isn't fun as I make it out to be, but my orders are orders."

Yumi clenched her fists, but Bubble reached out to her and held them down. "Don't…let her get to you," Bubble groaned as she stood up. "Don't raise your hands like that…that's not you."

"Tomoyo-chan…" Slowly, Yumi let go of her fists.

"Don't worry. We'll protect your desire…" Bubble then walked past Lilith, who did not try to stop her, and went back into the battle field, preventing the Akumajin from attacking a vulnerable Azalea.

"My desire…" Yumi echoed as she watched the fight. But then she looked up at Lilith he watched the fight with disinterest. After a while, she realized what she had to do. "Are…are you…"

"Hm?" Lilith caught Yumi's muttering and turned to her. "Am I what?"

Yumi didn't answer. She knew what she could do. She didn't have to fight. Instead, she ran back into café. Lilith raised an eyebrow and turned to the Akumajin. "Hey!" she called out to it. "Stop what you're doing!" The Akumajin stopped beating on Bubble, who was protecting Azalea and looked at Lilith, puzzled. "I think something interesting is about to happen."

After a bit, Yumi came back out. In her hand was a tray holding a plate with what seemed like a chocolate cake. "I'm sorry for the wait," she apologized to Lilith and held it up to her. "Please…if you try one, maybe you can reconsider your actions."

Lilith bit her bottom lip and laughed haughtily. "Are you BRIBING me?!" she cackled. "My, have humans fallen! Alright, little girl. I'll play your game. But do know…I don't LIKE sweets. You may not live after this." She slowly descended in front of Yumi and took the plate into her hands. Holding the moist cake with one hand, she glanced at Yumi, who bore a confident but sweet and mellow smile. As Lilith took a bite of the cake's tip, her eyes widened. "Th-this is…" she took another bite, and her pale face flushed. "It's…it's perfect! It's not sweet at all! How?! How did you know?!"

"I can tell that you don't like sweets," Yumi replied. "Because your heart…it yearns to love, but it does not know how. You want to surround yourself with men, but doing so leaves a bitter taste. There are not a lot of customers in this café that do not eat sweets, but I know which ones don't. I do not want to serve someone something they refuse to eat. I want them to smile just like you are right now."

"Sm-smile?" Lilith didn't realize it, but there was a wide smile on her face. Not of ecstasy, but of a calming pleasure. She felt her heart at ease from taking another bite of this cake. She never knew that such a feeling existed in the world. She never knew that she could ever fall in love like this. "I…I have decided!" She pointed at Yumi as she wiped the crumbs from her purple lips. "You they call Yumi, come with me! Live with me as my bride!"

There was a silence in the air as a single bird cawed and Bubble's and Azalea's jaws dropped. Yumi merely placed her hands over her mouth with a slight blushed. Even the Akumajin, gray in body, turned completely pale.

"W-W-W-W-Wait a second!" Bubble exclaimed. "Y-Y-Y-You can't do that! I-I-I-I mean, she's a girl! You're a woman!"

"No, that's beside the point!" Azalea interjected. "How old are you?! Yumi-chan's only thirteen-years old! I-It's not proper for such a relationship!"

"Oh hush up!" Lilith rebuttled, her cheeks fully pink. "This wonderful feeling known as love knows no bounds! Gender, age, even if I am of the Yokubuzoku and she is a human, I want her! I will cherish her and everything that she is! That is enough, is it?! You girls are a thousand years too young to understand!"

"Th-Th-That's beside the point!" the two Pretty Cures screamed, faces extremely red.

Yumi lowered her hands and took Lilith's. "Lilith-san…"

Lilith turned to Yumi, her eyes sparkling. "Y-Yes…Yumi-chan…"

"Thank you very much…such words, I don't know what to say…" Then Yumi let go of Lilith's hands and bowed. "But I'm sorry, I have to decline."

Once more, there was a silence.

"Eh?" everyone else muttered.

"There is someone I already love with all my heart. No…not someone. Everyone." She turned to the café and spread her arms wide. "Those I can make happy here in this café, from my family and friends to strangers, if I can make them genuinely smile like you have shown me today, that's all I desire. I cannot bear to part with everyone this way. I have a job to do in this life."

Lilith took a step back and collapsed dramatically. "I see…" she solemnly sobbed as the Akumajin rushed over to comfort her. "You have chosen your path…but…" With a flash in her eyes, Lilith ascended once more. "I will not give up on you, Yumi-chan! If erasing everyone that binds you to this world is what I must do to be with you, then so be it! Akumajin, this is my desire! Destroy this café!"

The Akumajin flexed its muscles as it stomped towards Yumi and the café.

"Yumi, run!" Azalea called out. As she tried to run, she watched a greatly injured Bubble collapse, so she ran to her partner. "Bubble, are you okay?!"

"Azlaea…leave me. Protect Yumi-chan!" Bubble cursed herself as she forced herself to move. "Someone has to! Yumi!"

Yumi turned to the Akumajin with a gentle smile, causing it to stop. "I respect your wishes, Lilith-san," she said, "but I ask that you please respect mine. If you do not…" From her apron's pockets, she pulled out a pink cellphone with a yellow gem on the lower left corner of the pentagram. "…I will be forced to break my code."

"Huh?" Azalea and Bubble were at a loss from what they were seeing. Was Yumi holding a Lifeliner? "Yumi-chan…"

"Is that…" Lilith stared at the Lifeliner and slapped her forehead. "No! You can't be! This has to change everything!"

"I am sorry, Lilith-san," Yumi apologized as she opened the Lifeliner. "But…my desire is to make everyone smile with my deserts. So that I may erase their worries and ease their hearts, to protect the desires they hold dear! Even yours, Lilith-san!"

The Lifeliner was silent, but then it began to beep and replied, "Your desire…has been acknowledged. Please dial プリキュア and answer the call!"

Yumi held the phone close to her chest and used both of her thumbs to press the keys. "PU! RI! KYU! A! SENDING NOW!" She then closed her Lifeliner and held it over her head.

"LIVE ON! Pretty Cure!"

* * *

In the dark world that seemed boundless and void of any end, a bare Yumi, her body glowing in a pale yellow light, descended upon a reflective surface. The minute her toe made contact, the reflective surface rippled like water; the dark world had changed rapidly. The dark skies became a yellow, sweet color filled with strawberries. The reflective water-like surface became pure white, like milk that began to envelope her as if in a dance.

Yumi reached out for a splash of the milk and ran it through her wrist, forming small white and flowery cloth held down by black cuffs, and she repeated for her other wrist. Like a wave, the milk splashed over her body as she formed a white dress shirt with round frilly shoulders tied with yellow bows, and a black vest with golden heart-shaped buttons formed over it. She spun around with the milk flowing around her lower region, forming a pale cream-colored dress with white ruffles underneath.

As she ran her hands through her blonde hair, she made it lengthen while she formed a sort of whipped-cream-like swirl on the top. With her hands still in the air, she formed a white headdress that she placed over her bangs. She landed forcefully onto the milky surface that splashed over her legs, forming near knee-high socks and black shoes with whipped-cream decorations on the top. A yellow ribbon tied itself on her back and her front, a golden heart-shaped broach with a pentagram inside placed on the front ribbon.

After kissing her Lifeliner, she placed it against her right hip, and it formed a white pouch connected to a golden chain at her lower vest button.

As she opened her golden eyes, Yumi backflipped onto the milky surface, landing in a polite curtsy amidst a splash. Her transformation was now complete.

* * *

Azalea and Bubble could not believe their eyes. Despite Yumi's initial rejection, she had become a Pretty Cure in the end.

"I'm sorry, Iroha-chan, Tomoyo-chan," Yumi smiled. "I really meant what I said, but to protect the things I love the most…I will become your ally."

Her finger danced along the air, releasing cream-like swirls as she spun around playfully. "The delightful flavor that awakens the senses!" She then took her finger and licked the tip a bit. With her legs together and her left hand close to her chest, she playfully formed a heart of milk with her finger in the air. "Cure Cream!"

"Cure Cream…ahhh!" Lilith let out a strange squeal. "Even your Pretty Cure form and name are cute! Akumajin, do your thing!"

The Akumajin pulled its fist back and lunged it towards Yumi. However, it stopped. The Akumajin began to sweat as it pushed its arm forward, but it wouldn't budge.

"Hey…Akumajin, what's wrong?!" Lilith flew over the Akumajin to see what was stopping it, and she couldn't believe her eyes.

Cure Cream was holding back the Akumajin's huge fist with only her finger. As she let her tension slip a little, the Akumajin slowly fell forward. Her finger still on the fist, she then pushed her arm forward. The Akumajin was sent flying towards where Azalea and Bubble were, away from the café. "I'm sorry, please do not take this personally," Cream politely gestured as she slowly and calmly walked towards the Akumajin. "But I will not tolerate any further damage to my home." The Akumajin stood up with a popped vein on its bald head, steam coming out of its stomach's eye, and it charged towards Cream. Once more, it threw a punch, but once again, Cream blocked with her finger. It punched again, but with the same finger, Cream blocked. It resorted to a flurry of punches, but Cream only used a finger to block. "You must be desperate to see her again," Cream commented. "Is this what they mean by speaking with their fists? It's Tomoyo-chan's favorite saying from her anime, but now I seem to understand it better. You are sad. Sad that your desire is being manipulated like this." Rather than using her finger, she then caught the final punch with her hand. The entire time, she kept a gentle and pure smile on her face. "I will release you from your pain…but this may hurt a bit."

With a single step, Cream used her other hand to deliver a punch into the Akumajin's stomach. The blow was so strong and loud that it caused a shockwave around the area. The eye on the Akumajin's stomach was tearing. Cream then pushed the Akumajin off her and towards Azalea and Bubble. "Iroha…I mean, Cure Azalea!"

Though distracted from this terrifying fight, Cure Azalea snapped back into reality. "R-Right!" Her fingers formed a sort of shinobi seal, and the nearby trees burst with azalea flowers. "Azalea Illusion!" The petals flew from the trees in the wind and collected in front of Azalea and Bubble. Like magic, they formed into full clones of Cure Azalea.

Bubble's eyes widened and teared up. "That…that is so cool! Oh my gosh this is so freaking cool!"

The two clones charged towards the falling Akumajin. The first clone sent a kick to the Akumajin's back that sent it into the air. The next clone jumped off the first's shoulders and delivered a punch to the side that sent the Akumajin higher and spinning. Then the real Cure Azalea ran to her clones. The first clone gave her a boost into the air, and the second clone grabbed her wrist and threw her farther than the Akumajin. "Bubble!" she called out as she made a hammer with both of her fists and slammed them onto the Akumajin, sending it falling towards the ground.

As the two clones bursted into petals, they danced around Bubble who was under the Akumajin's zone. She smirked and formed a circle with her hands. "Stand back…Cure Cream," she grinned. "This is gonna get a little loud. Bubble Big Bang Bomb!" She began to blow a giant bubble from her hands that floated towards the Akumajin. On cue, Cure Cream stepped in front of Bubble and waved her arms around, forming a sort of whipped cream-like shield. The bubble touched the Akumajin's back, and there was a huge explosion. Lilith shielded herself from the gust of wind with her wings, but she was blown so far back that she landed into a nearby tree.

Smoking and smoldering, the Akumajin bounced onto the pavement as Cream let go of the whipped cream defenses. "You guys are crazy," she laughed.

She then reached for her Lifeliner and flipped it open. "You may now answer the call!" it yelled. With a press of the Send button, it glowed a bright light that enveloped her left hand. A sort of frost emitted from it. Cream then spun around and raised her hand into the air. "Pretty Cure! Cream Cheese Freeze!" She slammed her hand onto the ground, and the Akumajin was surrounded by layers of cream. It danced around the Akumajin until it was covered completely. Cure Cream walked towards the cream sphere and ran her finger across it as she walked past, licking it. With a delighted smile, she snapped her fingers, and the cream burst into an ice-like crystal, revealing the Akumajin frozen inside. The crystal cracked and shattered, freeing the Akumajin.

It glowed a bright light as it slowly descended to the ground. "How nice…" it hummed as its body disintegrated. The body of the man from the café landed in Cure Cream's arms, a content smile on his face and what looked like whipped cream on the corner of his mouth. Cream giggled and wiped it off.

From afar, the smitten Lilith watched the victory unfold. "Cure Cream…Yumi-chan…you're so strong, and so cool! I will make you mine yet, I swear it!" And with that, she disappeared, leaving behind a few falling leaves.

* * *

The man was slumped over the table of the café, a plate of cake and a cup of coffee next to him. In his hand was his cell phone. A small hand tapped him on his shoulder. "Yosuke…" said a gentle voice. She nudged him once more. "Wake up, sleepy-head."

The man slowly woke up to find a woman standing next to him. She was wearing a business suit, as if she had just gone off work. "I'm sorry, did you wait long?"

"Chie…" The man smiled and sat up, holding the woman close to him as he placed his head onto her stomach. "No…not really."

From the counter, Iroha and Tomoyo watched the scene unfold. "Wow, Yumi's right," Tomoyo commented. "You really don't have to do anything sometimes."

"Ah, you dropped the –chan," Iroha teased.

"Shut up! We're allies now, so it's okay to drop that stuff, right?"

"Allies?" Yumi leaned onto the counter from the other side. "Yes, I believe we are allies now. I am quite thrilled from this development. Becoming a Pretty Cure…it felt like my heart was cleared of all its doubts. I look forward to working with you both, Iroha! Tomoyo!"

"Ah, you also dropped the –chan!" Iroha teased once more, and the three of them laughed lightly. As if on cue, the three of them began to chug down a bottle of milk and let out a contented sigh. "By the way, Yumi, where did you get your Lifeliner?"

"Yeah, you were with us the entire time, so how did you get one?!"

Yumi took out her Lifeliner and shook it a little playful. "You mean this? I'm sure the same way you got yours."

"You mean…" Iroha thought of the platinum blonde-haired woman who gave her her Lifeliner, "you mean that woman?!"

"That woman?" Yumi tilted her head. "You mean…Bitou-san?"

There was a silence from the two girls. "…Eh?"

"You know, Bitou-san. She works as a faculty in Tokugawa Academy. Bitou Homura."

The silence grew colder as the two girls tried to process what was just said to them.

"…EHHHHHHHH?!"

* * *

Walking down the street of the residential district, the platinum blonde-haired woman, identified as Bitou Homura, looked at the orange sky from the setting sun. The stars were slowly becoming visible. She then took out the last Lifeliner clipped to her bag. It had a green star on the upper left corner of the pentacle. "Just one more…" she whispered to herself.

The wind blew, and she inhaled slowly. There was a loud sneeze, and a poof.


	4. The Mysterious Homura Bitou

A head poked over the edge of the window. A second one followed. They stared hard through the window of the faculty room from the hallway. Their focus: the woman with the long platinum blonde hair sitting at the desk closest to the principal's office. "She doesn't seem out of the ordinary," the flower-headed girl whispered.

"Maybe she's foreign?" the puppy tail-headed youth replied, her nose pressed against the glass. As they looked closer, they realize that her skin is a fair white. "Maybe from England or France."

"America, maybe?"

"Why don't you go ask her?" said a voice behind them. Iroha and Tomoyo turned behind themselves, looking up at Yumi. "It'd be much easier and less suspicious to just directly ask her."

Tomoyo narrowed her eyes. "Weren't you the one who suggested that we scout on her first?"

* * *

Earlier that day, during the lunch period, the three girls placed their desks together and ate their lunch. "How are we supposed to approach her…" Iroha thought aloud. "It's not exactly easy to come up to the one who gave you your powers and ask, 'Hey, why you do that?'"

Tomoyo drank out of her juice box until its sides were crushed. "That kind of thing you gotta be tactful with," she replied, shaking her juice box lightly. "In most cases these things occur, that person will deny all truth and pretend he or she was not involved with you. And then next thing you know…YOUR BODY WILL BE FOUND IN A BODY BAG DUMPED IN YOKOHAMA HARBOR!"

The two girls laughed at the exaggeration; that's something you'd see on television dramas, they thought to themselves. "I don't think Bitou-san is that kind of person." Iroha then turned to Yumi. "What do you think, Yumi-chan?"

Yumi slowly put down the napkin she used to wipe her lips and let out a content sigh. "I think…you should investigate further before taking any action. Like Tomoyo says, we might end up in body bags in Odaiba Harbor if we poke around too much."

"See?! She gets it!"

"Yumi, you know Tomoyo was only making a joke…right?"

* * *

"Oh did I?" Yumi whistled, slightly looking away with her hands behind her back as she sweat a little. "I thought we were just making a little joke…"

"All joking aside," Iroha sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "the only way to get to the bottom of this is to figure out who Bitou-san is and why she chose us to become Pretty Cure."

"Alright!" With a confident smirk, Tomoyo took out her Lifeliner. "Then you both know what to do, right?" In response, the other two girls nodded as they took out their Lifeliners. "Then let's start! 'Operation: Who the Heck is Bitou Homura?!' is a go!" Then she and Iroha headed to the stairs in the middle of the hallway.

"Hey, no running in the hallway!" called out a voice behind Yumi, who was about to head to her position. Yumi turned around and saw Ran walking towards her. "I swear, those two are like children sometimes…"

"Really?" Yumi smiled, tilting her head slightly. "I think it's fun the play like children sometimes."

Ran let out a sigh as she looked at Yumi, but noticed a pink and white device in her hand. When Yumi caught the look, she quickly shifted her hand behind her bag. "What's that?"

"Oh, nothing," Yumi nervously chuckled. "Just a toy."

With a raised eyebrow, Ran crossed her arms. "You know that cellphones are forbidden to be used during school hours, right?"

"But classes ARE over, yes?" the blonde retorted. "There's no harm if I'm not using it."

"That's true…"

As the two continued to talk, Yumi heard the door slide behind her. She didn't turn around, but she knew someone had just left the faculty office. "Oh, it's Bitou-san," Ran took note as the woman walked towards the stairs. Yumi quickly turned around and confirmed her friend's words. Without thinking, she took out her Lifeliner and pressed a number, placing it to her ear. "H-Hey, Amagi!"

"Tomoyo?" Yumi cut her off. "The target is headed to your position."

"Gotcha," Tomoyo replied over the phone. "I'll let Iroha know."

Yumi closed her phone and turned to Ran, bowing at her. "I'm sorry, Shoukusari-san, but I have to go. There's something I must do."

"Hey, wa-" Before Ran could even finish, Yumi turned and left. She slowly dropped her hand. "Amagi…what's gotten into you?"

* * *

Yumi carefully descended the stairs to the second floor, holding on to the railing as closely as possible. When she turned, she saw Tomoyo sitting by the trash can. "Did you see her?" she asked.

"Yeah," Tomoyo replied with a thumbs-up gestured. "Don't think she saw me. I was being super discreet."

"If she saw you, you would probably be in a body bag by now!" Yumi laughed, but Tomoyo wasn't amused. The laughter slowly died down, and the blonde blushed a little. "…Was…that a bit too much?"

"No, it's just weird to hear you make a joke like that," Tomoyo chuckled, scratching her cheek. "I don't know what to make of it."

Hoping to get off the subject, Yumi quickly added, "We should probably contact Iroha. Bitou-san probably already passed her."

"You're right, I'll give it a go." Tomoyo opened her Lifeliner and pressed on a key, placing it to her ear. After several rings, there was a click. "Ah, Iroha? What's your status? ...Eh?" Yumi knew something was off when Tomoyo changed her expression. "N-No, I thought she…yeah. Okay, we're coming down." After her brief conversation with Iroha, Tomoyo looked at Yumi worriedly. "It seems we…have a bit of a problem…"

* * *

Iroha closed her shoe locker as she replaced her school spats with sneakers. She heard the footsteps from the stairwell and looked to the side, seeing Tomoyo and Yumi. "Ah! So what happened?"

"What happened? I thought you already saw her!" Tomoyo sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Yumi giggled as she patted Tomoyo's shoulder. Then she turned to Iroha. "Is it true, Iroha? Bitou-san never came down?"

Iroha nodded. "I was keeping an eye on the stairwell from here, but I never saw anyone else come down. I thought she hadn't left the office until Tomoyo called me." She scratched her cheek with a sigh. "Sorry. I must've not been paying attention…"

The three crossed their arms and huffed, eyes closed in deep thought.

"Well, no use crying over spilled milk," Iroha smiled.

"Yes! Because the milk should be used for tea!" Yumi added excitedly.

"I guess there's nothing we can do now," Tomoyo sighed dejectedly. "Let's call it a night for now. I'm getting hungry thinking about it…"

* * *

In the dark chambers of a dimly light throne-room, the Yokubuzoku general, Alibaba, sat by a pillar, eating what appeared to be a riceball. "Tch, I knew I shouldn't have gotten the kombu," he growled and threw it across the hall. The riceball broke on impact with the hard marble floor, grains of it scattering about. A clack of a heel coupled with the squishing of the rice grains echoed soon after.

"Hey! Ali-brat!" screeched a woman from the other end as trotted her way towards the lazing Alibaba. "Don't go throwing your garbage in his lordship's chambers!"

"Ah shut up," Alibaba huffed. "I'm allowed to eat what I want, right? It's not like Master Diabolos cares, anyway, right?" He stood up, wiping his hands on his pants. "Anyway, what do you want? Shouldn't you be taking care of the Pretty Cure?"

"This is why no one will ever like you," Lilith scoffed. "Unlike my precious Yumi-chan, you are unrefined, lazy, and refuse to take responsibility of the orders given to you! It seems that bad boys need to be punished…"

"Huh?!" Alibaba materialized his scimitar. "Do you wanna fight, you old hag?!"

"Hag?!" Lilith in return lashed out her whip. "I'll have you know I am aging gracefully, thank you! At least Yumi-chan appreciates my beauty!"

Before a brawl could start, an immense pressure filled the room. Alibaba and Lilith both knew what this meant; their master has entered their presence. His power, his strength, his greed, it knew no bounds. As they turned towards the throne, a pair of piercing red eyes glared at them from the darkness. "M-Master Diabolos!" they stammered in unison.

"Lilith…Alibaba…" he growled low and soft, yet its echo rumbled the room and their hearts. He bore his fangs and slammed a clenched fist on the arm of his throne, bellowing, "You both have a lot of nerve to take your pettiness to MY throne room. Rather than producing the results I desire, you are wasting time here."

Immediately, Alibaba and Lilith prostrated themselves to Diabolos' dark figure. "Forgive us, my lord!"

The demon-like figure, his immense burly form shrouded in the shadows of his dimly lit throne room, crossed his large, thick legs, wiggling his toes. As he leaned his head on his fist, he narrowed his eyes to a grin. "Good," he chortled. "Those who serve under me would do well to know their place." After a brief pause, he sighed, releasing what seemed like smoke and small wisps of fire from his mouth in the exhale. "Alibaba…"

"Y-Yes!"

"Have you found her yet?"

Alibaba's eyes widened, and he get up on one knee. "Yes, my dark lord," he answered immediately. "But she is well guarded. To that end, I prepared a…suitable weapon against her."

There was a silence, and the thick legs were uncrossed. As his foot lowered to the ground, he slowly stood and clenched his fists inward, spreading his large bat-like wings. "The Yokubuzoku, forged of my very desire, should not let their blades dull. I created you all in my own image. I will not tolerate failure in the face of my grand desire. Do you understand, Alibaba?" His piercing red eyes widened, his arm stretched out, and his palm opened. A powerful air blew from his hand, an immense pressure. This was the form of his desire: pure and evil. "I desire many things, Alibaba. And right now, what I desire…is the end of that accursed woman, and the eradication of the Pretty Cure she brought about! The last Pretty Cure must not be awakened!"

With renewed fervor, Alibaba grinned and rose. "Yes, my lord! Failure ain't in my dictionary!" With his sword, he stabbed into the air and sliced downward, revealed a portal to Etsukyou. Just as he was about to step into it, a piece of paper was held to his face. "Wh-what the…"

"If you're going up there," Lilith smirked, "be a useful dearie for once and get me the things on this list."

Alibaba took his foot out of the portal and looked down at the list. It listed the following: matcha cream puffs, dark chocolate cornets, and black tea. "Hey hey, since when have I become YOUR errand boy, old hag?!"

"ALIBABA!"

The roar of Diabolos startled the boy as he cowered from his earlier demeanor. "Y-Yes, my lord?!"

Diabolos raised a claw, swirling his finger in the air. On the note, more words were burnt into it. It read: mille-feuille.

"If you come back without that, I will grant you a suffering worth a thousand lifetimes."

With the deadest look in his eyes, Alibaba can only stalely reply, "…What?"

* * *

Once more, another school day has passed. The girls considered their options based on the previous failed attempt on their spy game. To repeat what was done before or to try something different were all they had left in their hands. The three of them huddled next to the stairwell on the school's third floor, whispering to one another.

"We don't have a choice, do we?" Iroha asked in a hushed tone.

"No…" Tomoyo replied as she looked down solemnly. "This is our only option."

"We already know the results," Yumi added, "but we are running out of time…and I have to get back to the bakery soon."

The three nodded to each other and stood up, turning towards the faculty office that they had visited the previous day. "Alright! Then we will do the same thing we did yesterday because we have time constraints!" After Tomoyo's declaration, the three of them returned to their previous places from before: Tomoyo by the stairwell in the second floor, Iroha at the first floor by the shoe lockers, and Yumi by the faculty office, unseen by the teachers.

As Yumi passed by the window of the office, she saw Homura Bitou filing away her papers; it seems she hasn't noticed yet. She took her Lifeliner from her bag, prepared to call if anything happens. She didn't want another mess up like yesterday and resolved to end this quickly.

"Amagi…"

Yumi turned behind her and found Ran, her face riddled with worry and concern. She clutched her clipboard tightly, trying to find the words to communicate with her friend. "Amagi…what are you doing?"

"I…don't understand what you mean by that, Shoukusari-san," Yumi replied, smiling innocently. "Is something the ma-"

"You're hiding something from me!" Ran's suddenly raised voice shocked Yumi, the smaller girl stepping back a bit. Some of the staff in the faculty room looked towards the window at the sudden noise. Before things escalated, Yumi moved Ran to a nearby room as one of the staff went out to check, finding no one.

"Shoukasari-san…Ran…"

"What's going on, Amagi?" The quiver in Ran's voice made Yumi break in a cold sweat, as if she was about to cry. "You've…become more distant. Lately, you're busier. You were spying on the faculty office the last few days. You, Aoba…Sakuya…since Sakuya Iroha enrolled in our class, you've been acting a little more secretive."

"Ran, it's not what you think," Yumi countered. "It's just that-"

"Just that what, Amagi?! That this is some kind of game? Like you're some sort of spy?!"

Yumi paused and tried to hold back a laugh. 'You don't know the half of it…'

"And what is that pink phone you've been carrying?" Yumi realized that Ran was talking about her Lifeliner. She clutched her book back tightly. "I know you never changed your phone. Your family wouldn't allow that. Where did you even get that from?!"

The two were silent. There was a heaviness in the air. Finally, Yumi relented and took her Lifeliner from her bag. She looked up at Ran and straight to her eyes. "Ran…I know you have a lot of questions, and I promise, I will tell you everything when the time comes. But…not yet. I…the three of us, me, Tomoyo, Iroha, there is something we need to do."

"Then…tell me what I can do." Ran walked closer to Yumi, placing her hand on Yumi's shoulder. "Whatever it is you three are doing, I can help."

Yumi paused. She looked down at her Lifeliner, and then back at the faculty room outside. She saw their target, Homura Bitou, leave the room. "Hold on." Quickly, she flipped open her Lifeliner, pressed the 4 key, and placed it to her ear. "…Tomoyo? Bitou-san is on the move. Let Iroha-chan know."

"Gotcha, SatouHime! KaniSenshi out!"

"Bitou-san? As in…Homura Bitou?"

With everything ready, Yumi turned to Ran and added, "There is something we need your help with."

* * *

Tomoyo slowly poked her head out of the trash can she was hiding in, a banana peel resting on her blue head. She could hear the footsteps of their target getting closer down the stairs, so she pulled out her Lifeliner, dialing 1, and placed it to her ear. "…Hey, HanaOjou, this is KaniSenshi…KaniSenshi to HanaOjou! ...Iroha, are you there?!"

"…Why are you calling yourself Crab Battler?" Iroha responded from the other line.

"We agreed after yesterday's attempt that we would use code words. I am 'Crab Battler' because crabs blow bubbles, you are the Flower Lady because you…and Yumi is Sugar Princess because everything she makes is great."

"…Oddly, that makes sense."

"Homura Bitou is on her way to the designated area. Are you ready?"

"Wait, I thought she was already there?"

"…Already there? ...Iroha, there is a lot of noise over there. Where are you?"

"Um…somewhere near 4-choume."

Upon this revelation, Tomoyo shot up out of the trash can. The lid popped off her head and clattered next to some passing students, causing them to sleep. "What?! When did you leave school?!"

Hiding behind the corner of a building wall, Iroha peeked out towards a walking Homura Bitou, the last Lifeliner dangling on her handbag by a chain. "When she came down. But you never signaled me, so I just followed after. Oh, she's getting away, I'll call you back."

"I-Iroha, wait! Iroha!"

* * *

And so the chase began.

Iroha followed Bitou to the residential area, traversing to what seemed like random streets. She hid behind trash bins, street lights, and telephone poles as she tailed her target. As Bitou stopped every now and then to check her watch, Iroha stayed outside of her line of sight. A few times, she almost slipped up. That was when the chase got worse.

Before she knew it, Iroha realized that they were speeding up. She could feel her breath getting heavy, as if her lungs were about to collapse. As Bitou turned the corner to what seemed like an alleyway, Iroha stepped up her pace, only to find that Bitou had disappeared.

"What?!" she gasped, walking towards the bags and boxes in the dark alley. But as she approached, she saw a shadow pass over her from the limited sunlight peeking into the alley. "She can't be…"

Iroha ran back out into the street, spotting what looked like blonde hair fluttering in the air over the roofs of the houses. "How did she get up there?!" Soon the chase took an even stranger turn. Iroha ran through the streets, looking up at the roofs of the houses she passes along the way. She could faintly make out the shadows of Bitou jumping from roof to roof, but it seemed that she was alternating sides, making it even more confusing.

"What is she, a ninja?!" she exclaimed, trying to catch her breath.

As she made it towards a clear area where the streets were too wide for "Bitou" to jump, Iroha looked around. Her eyes followed along the roofs of the houses, waiting to see if this "mystery ninja" would make her move. But it was too quiet.

"Where did she go…"

As she flipped out her Lifeliner, she heard a can collapse nearby. Immediately, she turned around, but found no one. The can seemed to have been moved by a passing stray cat. "Geez…maybe I'm a little too caught up in this. I know we need to get answers from her, but what's the point if I'm going to get jumpy all the time…"

Unbeknownst to her, Bitou spied at her from the roof of a nearby building. Acknowledging that Iroha seemed to have given up, she disappeared from the roof.

* * *

Now that no one was following her, Bitou could finally go home. "Those girls have been rather persistent. I did not expect Azalea to have followed me instead of being fooled by my illusion." With a smirk, she looked at the Lifeliner in her bag. "She's better than I thought…"

Suddenly, a can collapsed behind her. Instinctively, Bitou stuck her hand into her bag, as if to pull out a weapon. She glared at the cause of the sound behind her, ready to attack. What she found was not a cat, but a...Yokubuzoku General.

Standing there dumbfounded was Alibaba, a box of desserts in one hand and an Akumajin's lamp in the other. Standing next to him was a large Akumajin, more hog-like than a pig. Around its neck was a bib, and in each of its front feet was a fork and knife. The two of them stared at each other for some time until the realized the gravity of the situation.

"Ahh! It's you! The one searching for the Pretty Cure!" Alibaba roared, flames searing from his teeth. "You aren't getting away this time!"

"Oh, I forgot about you," Bitou clicked her tongue as she jumped back. "As much as I want to deal with you, I have papers to grade. So if you'll excuse me-"

"Akumajin! Obliterate her!"

The Akumajin snorted from its nostrils and charged toward Bitou, its tusks bared towards her. Its bottom feet stamped on the concrete, leaving a trail of dust as it squealed in rage. But as it got closer to Bitou, it found itself stopped in its tracks.

Bitou's arm was extended, her finger tips glowing. In front of her was a circular barrier, some sort of magical seal. "Wh-what?!" Alibaba gasped.

"Have you forgotten who I am, Yoku-bozu?" Bitou snarled, her glare piercing through the barrier to Alibaba. "I have eluded you time and time again. And I have beaten you time and time again. You dare get an innocent of this world involved in our fight…I will not forgive you, Yokubo scum!" The barrier fell, and the Akumajin stumbled forward. Bitou took a step forward and somersaulted the Akumajin by its chin, knocking it back. Now farther back than before, Bitou took an object from her bag. It was a sort of compact. "For what you did to my world, to Eden, I will show you the hell you turned it to!" The compact opened, revealing a sparkling light. From the mirror of the compact, a beam shot out towards the Akumajin. "Return to the darkness from where you came, devil of greed!"

But Alibaba was unfazed. A grin widened on his lips. "Ahhh? A hell, you say? That wasn't even the half of it." The beam made contact with the Akumajin, but it dissipated instantly. Bitou reeled back in shock from the lack of effectiveness from her attack. "While you were busy searching for the Pretty Cure, we have been strengthened by the Desire Factor from the worlds we have taken over. And this world, the Land of Life, will fall under Master Diabolos' control, and its Desire Factor will be ours!"

The Akumajin charged at Bitou again, but the woman managed to jump over it. While airborne, Bitou formed what looked like stars from her fingers. She then shot them like missiles at the Akumajin, but like before, the lights simply faded. 'He's right,' she thought. 'My powers haven't gotten weaker. But they've gotten stronger." She landed and jumped back, but found herself against a wall. 'Are the Pretty Cure I've recruited strong enough? Have I made a mistake?'

While in thought, the Akumajin took its fork and thrust towards Bitou, who grabbed it by its prongs before it pierced her head. She struggled with the Akumajin's strength as the fork got closer to her face. "Damn…I know I didn't make a mistake…it was his dream…Dreamy…It wasn't a mistake, right?!"

"Bitou-san!"

By the sudden call, the Akumajin turned its head around, only to find a trash can lid fly towards its face. The impact made it fall to the side, releasing the fork and Bitou from its clutches.

"Yeaaah!" A loud boisterous voice cried out, belonging to Tomoyo. "Bulls-eye! Or I guess you can say, pig's eye!"

Bitou looked to the side to find not only Tomoyo, but Iroha and Yumi as well. "You three…"

"Bitou-san, are you alright?" Iroha asked, kneeling next to the mysterious woman.

Bitou looked up at Iroha, noticing the Lifeliner in her hand. Her eyes watered, unlike the look of the woman that was fighting earlier. "I knew it…it wasn't a mistake…"

"That's right. It wasn't a mistake that you chose us," Tomoyo reassured as she flipped out her Lifeliner. "No matter the danger, we are Pretty Cure!"

"That's right," Yumi added, removing the Lifeliner from her bag as well. "We knew the risks when we accepted the Lifeliners from you. And even now, we do not regret our decisions."

Iroha stood up and walked in front of the three, flipping open her Lifeliner. "We'll protect it. Your happiness…and your joy! Everyone!"

The three of them placed their thumbs on the keypads of their Lifeliners, pressing the following patterns in their individual speeds.

"PU (プ)! RI(リ)! KYU (キュ)! A (ア)! SENDING NOW!"

A bright light filled their screens, and the three girls raised their Lifeliners into the air.

"LIVE ON! Pretty Cure!"

* * *

In the dark world that seemed boundless and void of any end, a bare Iroha, Tomoyo, and Yumi, their bodies glowing in their respective pink, blue, and yellow lights, descended upon a reflective surface. The minute they each made contact, the reflective surface rippled like water; the dark world had changed rapidly. For Iroha, the darkened sky became a day blue as the reflective surface sprouted into a field of green covered with many flowers of different colors. The flowers burst into petals that surrounded Iroha as if in a dance. For Tomoyo, she was immediately engulfed in blue water, surrounded by numerous bubbles. The bubbles danced around her as she waved her arms in dance. For Yumi, the dark sky was lit with a yellow, sweet color filled with strawberries. A splash of cream began to envelope her as if in a dance.

The three girls were bathed in their respective flower petals, bubbles, and cream until they had attained their Pretty Cure forms.

Iroha raised her right hand with her index finger extended. "One!" She opened all of her fingers. "Ten!" She clenched her hand into a fist in the air. "A hundred!" She brought her hand to her chest and swiped it outward to the side. "A thousand!" At that instant, from the trees to the grass below, many flowers bloomed, all of which were azaleas. "Bloom, fields of green, and bring happiness to the world!" As she said this, she brought her arms together and spread them out from her body. She then clasped her too hands together tightly and brought them close to her chest. As she opened her hands, a single azalea flower bloomed. "Cure Azalea!"

Tomoyo smiled as she opened one hand, releasing small bubbles. "Puku, puku, pop!" she called out as each bubble popped. She then jumped up and raised her other arm, spinning around and releasing bigger bubbles. "Boom, boom, BOP!" As she landed with her spinning arm down across her body and the other upward and outward, and her legs crossed, the bubbles behind her exploded like bombs. She then stood upward and held her hands together into a circle, one leg raised behind her, and her head tilted cutely. "Cure Bubble!"

Yumi's finger danced along the air, releasing cream-like swirls as she spun around playfully. "The delightful flavor that awakens the senses!" She then took her finger and licked the tip a bit. With her legs together and her left hand close to her chest, she playfully formed a heart of milk with her finger in the air. "Cure Cream!"

* * *

The three Pretty Cure stood before the Akumajin, ready to fight. But Cure Cream turned her eyes to Alibaba and noticed the box in his hands. "Oh, is that ours?" she asked politely with a curtsy. "Thank you for your patronage. I hope my sweets are enough to bring you delight."

Alibaba blinked and bowed in return. "Ah. Thank you for your kind words…hey, stop it! Don't make fun of me! Akumajin!"

The Akumajin snorted once more and stamped its hind legs on the concrete. It tilted forward and began to charge towards the three Pretty Cure. Bubble and Azalea jumped out of the way as Cream grabbed the Akumajin by the tusks. The sheer force of the monster slowly pushed her towards the tired Bitou. Cream grit her teeth as she used her own strength to hold her ground. Finally, she twisted her arms, throwing the Akumajin to its side. "Bubble!" she called out.

Bubble jumped off a nearby lamp post and stomped her feet on the Akumajin's side. "Atatatatatatatataaaa!" Like a dance, she repeatedly stamped on the Akumajin as it squealed continuously. She continued until she saw a sword head her way, and she jumped off the Akumajin. The sword belonged to Alibaba, still holding the box of sweets in his hand. "Hey! That's dangerous!"

"Like I'm going to let you have your way!" Alibaba roared and jumped towards Bubble as he repeatedly slashed at her. Bubble nearly dodged by the skin of her teeth, beads of sweat dropping from her cheeks. Soon, the two of them were farther from the Akumajin, allowing it to recover.

As it stood, it clanged together its fork and knife. It looked behind it to find Azalea standing there, her fists clenched. Slowly, she raised her fingers and gestured to the Akumajin, "Come on!" Smoke and embers escaped the Akumajin's nostrils, and it took the knife in its hoof, stabbing it forward. The knife went right through Azalea, only for her to burst into azalea petals. The real Azalea was under the Akumajin, reeling her fist back into a strong uppercut into Akumajin's fat gut where its Yokubuzoku eye was placed. The force of the punch created strong winds surrounding her, forcing the Akumajin into the air.

"No no no no!" Alibaba cried and ended his assault on Bubble, throwing his scimitar at an unsuspecting Azalea. But before it made contact, a wall of ice erupted from the ground, catching the blade.

Cream crouched next to Azalea, her left hand touching the ground. "Cream Freeze Shield!"

Alibaba gritted his teeth, not noticing that Bubble was just behind him. "Darn it!" he roared and opened a portal in front of him, throwing the box of sweets through it.

"Oh no, you don't!" Bubble called out as she formed a circle with both of her hands. "Bubble Big Bang Bomb!" She blew into the circle, releasing a medium-sized bubble that floated towards Alibaba's back. Once it made contact with his vest, it exploded, and he flew into the portal screaming.

Amidst all this, Azalea's Lifeliner began to beep. She flipped it open, prompting a "You may answer the call!" response. With a press of the Send button, a bright light emanated from the phone transforming into a single azalea flower. Cure Azalea grabbed it and opened her hand once more, releasing a countless number of petals from her hand. They began to surround the Akumajin as they lifted it up into the air. "Pretty Cure! Azalea Petal Dance!" The petals began to dance around the area, releasing a sweet fragrant smell as Cure Azalea spun around and clapped her hands twice.

From the sphere of petals containing the Akumajin glowed a bright light. The single eye on the Akumajin's stomach began to close. "How nice…" it hummed as its body disintegrated. The petals burst outward, releasing a rather portly man, slowly floating down onto the pavement.

The battle ended, the three Pretty Cure grouped up, high-fiving each other for their victory. But their victory cheer was interrupted by the injured woman's groans.

Bitou slowly held herself up to the wall, holding her wrist. She gazed at the Pretty Cure and smiled a little. "You three…are something else…" she whispered.

"Well, if you really feel that way," Bubble snorted, rubbing her nose, "maybe you can give us a little information about yourse-" She was quickly stopped by Cream elbowing her in the stomach.

Azalea walked towards Bitou and crouched in front of her, picking up the last Lifeliner. This one had a green gem on the upper left-most point of the star. After staring at it for a bit, she placed it into Bitou's hand. "I understand…if you aren't ready to tell us anything," she said, closing her eyes, "but you can't expect us to not have any questions about all this. Why us? Why are you working at our school? ...Who are you?"

Bitou looked into Azalea's eyes, and then towards Bubble and Cream. She sighed and answered, "At the moment, you are not ready for all the answers. At least…not until I find the last Pretty Cure. But I promise you, when I do, everything will be made clear. Who I am, your roles in this fight…and your destiny." Azalea stepped back a bit, and the three Cures politely bowed to Bitou. "Now you three should head home. You probably have homework you need to do, and I have tests to grade." With a responding bow, Bitou left.

* * *

The three girls de-transformed back to their civilian states, and the damage from their battle miraculously undone. "Man, that was a bit lackluster," Tomoyo sighed, her hands behind her head. "With all that spying we did, I just want to go home and watch anime…"

"Oh, if you know any good ones," Yumi responded, "might I come along? I seem to have been hyped up from all this."

"Oh oh, same here!" Iroha added. "Spy movies are always better than books!"

As the three of them laugh, a twinkling ringtone filled the air. They stopped as Yumi pulled out her actual cell phone. "Oh, it looks like Shoukusari-san helped us out after all."

"Ran?" Tomoyo looked at Yumi's phone. "What did she say?"

"She'll give us all the information the school has on Bitou-san tomorrow morning. Maybe then we'll have an idea of who she is."

This reminded Iroha something that Bitou was saying when they had just gotten to the battle scene. "A hell…is there something more to this battle that we don't know?"

* * *

In the hellish darkness of the palace, Alibaba laid face-first on the floor, his smoking buttock raised. The box of desserts sat in front of him, only to be picked up by Lilith.

"Oh, so you can do your job properly," she mocked, taking out a cream puff and placing it on top of Alibaba's turban. "You better report to Lord Diabolos. He isn't happy with your performance. But maybe this mille-feuille may change his mind." With a mischievous chuckle, Lilith departed with a green-tea cake in hand, leaving the box with the mille-feuille sitting in front Alibaba's smoldering body.

The castle went silent until he let out a faint, "I hate all of you…"

* * *

In a nearby mall complex, a young boy walked out of a store called "HUNPLA EMPORIUM." The sliding doors closed behind him as he walked towards the other side of the street, illuminated by the street lights. He looked up to the moon and revealed his deep green eyes from under his cap. His phone vibrated, and he looked at the screen; it was a text from Yumi saying, "Thank you. We'll see you tomorrow, Ran!"

The boy took of his cap, revealing himself to be a girl with her long green hair, and smiled. Then she looked down at the shopping bag from the Hunpla Emporium and promptly retreated into the night.


End file.
